Swordsman
by Toner
Summary: male OC. He grew up not knowing who he was. He had no name, because no one wanted to know him. He doesn't know how to react when he learns who he is related to. Mix between the comics and YJ, this is my first story so please review.
1. escape from the pain

Story, AU YJ

**Start: boy is 13, haven't decided a name yet. This is before Independence day, about 2-3 years prior. My first story ever so, please give tips and constructive criticism, I still have alot to learn. Don't worry I will inlude way more YJ and JL later on, this is just main character setup.**

I'm so dead. he thought as he bit his tongue. Vulgar language followed by slamming could be heard in the room next to him. His father, (adopted) was not happy when he found out he had been sneaking food when they went to sleep.

It's not like it was MY fault they don't feed me! Right?

"You, Get in here." His father had that tone. He always had that tone when he was angry, or wanted something. The boy slowly followed his father into the kitchen only to see his mother at the table with that annoyed look, like she was staring at a rabid animal.

"You're going to pay for the food you stole, you little rat." His fathers voice rang through his ears as he gulped down the lump in his throat.

"Yes, sir."

"You're lucky we even adopted you, no one else wanted you, heck we didn't want you. You just seemed like a good _slave_"

That word, it stung so much, but before the boy could slip a word out he was back handed. Then bashed once again once he had hit the floor. The mother only watched as the beating occurred, not showing any emotion whatsoever. She had seemed so nice when he was adopted, but after a while her true colors had begun to show. She stopped calling him son, and gave him more chores to do. The affection turned to acknowledgement, which soon became neglection after about two months.

The table shuddered as the boy was thrown against it. Upon it a lit candle fell, only to start the beginning of the adventure that awaited the young boy. The flame licked the table cloth only to set it ablaze. Before anyone could react the boy had darted to the back door, leaving his adopted parents to deal with the arising issue of fire. His heart was pounding and the split lip dripped, leaving a small trail of innocence the child still held within him.

A week later he had learnt that they had died in the flames. Only joy came over the boy as he found out. He had been travelling for the past few days, hopping from place to place. He had been lucky enough to salvage his old duffle bag from the wreckage of the fire without anyone noticing him. His best friend, Roy Harper had given it to him at the orphanage before Roy was adopted. He never really got to say goodbye, he just kind of, left.

_5 years ago, that just feels so long ago. Was it in another life?_

His mind began to wonder, but was jolted awake by a loud sound. The alley way he had been dozing off in became occupied with what sounded like a druggie. At Least by the sliding of the footsteps. The young man had grown accustomed to this the past few nights, after all this was supposed to be the "bad" part of Star City. After sneaking around the junkie, he realized that was the last place he had to go for sleep, all of his other spots had been found by thugs who saw him as an easy target for money, or even worse.

What seemed like hours of meandering around the city, he saw a corporate office that seemed easy enough to slip into. Queen industries, he had heard of it before, but he couldn't place a person, let alone a face to the name. He had learned how to pick the lock off an emergency exit, and how to not set off the alarm from countless attempts at his adopted "parents" house. They had the whole setup because they caught him sneaking into the house after curfew _once_. He had found a nice supply closet in the far corner of the office on the fifth floor. Is was small, but heck, it was nicer than any alley way. he wrapped his arms around the duffel bag hoping to get some comfort out of it, immense shouting and banging echoed through the halls, followed by shattering glass. instinct kicked in as he heard the noise in the office outside the closet. He grabbed his back and was ready to sprint for it when the time came. The gruff voice of man could be heard through the door.

"So you think you can steal from anywhere you want? Think again pal."

"I swear I only was only going to steal enough to put food on the table!"

a cocky snort could be heard from the other man. "hah, I doubt it. You've stolen enough to feed a king and his entire country."

_Agh!_

Loud shuffling and a thud could be heard in the room, as it sounded like a third person had tackled the other. The boy had to find something to create a distraction, enough to buy some time to escape. He scanned the closet only to find some paper clips, sticky notes, and a coffee mug that read "best boss around". He sighed, silently whispering "this will have to do". He listened through the door once more to get an idea of where the men were fighting. To the left, against the wall he was leaning against, all he had to do was dash for the exit in the far right corner of the room, a solid 20 feet. Simple, right?

The adrenaline kicked in and with a deep breath he opened the door and whipped the mug as hard as he could. It did its job and shattered upon one the mens face, easily taking him down, but what he young man saw shocked him for a brief moment. A man clad in a type of green hoodie, with tight green pants to match it, was being choked out by a mobster with with a tribal tattoo down his neck. Luckily they didn't notice him, but in an instance the man in green had successfully taken down his opponent to realize his other enemy had been taken care of. He picked up his bow and notched an arrow scanning the now empty room, only to hear fast paced footsteps fleeing the scene that had just occurred.

_No witnesses, not tonight._ The man thought, and chased after what he thought was his final target.


	2. the accidental shot

Chapter 2

**Okay, so a side note. Not sure if i should stick to 3rd person of the boy, or switch between characters. Still new to writing stories, like before, reviews are insanely helpful, thanks. -Toner**

The man in the costume, Green Arrow, meant that night to be a quick patrol. He didn't mean to get himself into this mess. He had heard about the chain of thefts in large corporate offices, but he didn't expect the thieves to be some mobster rookies. He counted two entering the building, his building, Queen Industries. Green Arrow decided to access the office from the roof, using stealth to take them down quickly. After all Dinah was waiting for him back at the house. He had set up some "plans" with her, but sadly they were postponed due to a request from Batman. He just couldn't catch a break, between Roy wanting to join him, managing his business, and keeping his second life at bay.

He kept his footsteps light, seeing a light on down the hall. His instincts kicked in as he listened to what they were saying, nothing. There was silence, but not the good kind. He entered the doorway only to be ambushed by the two thugs. He tossed one into the hall as he charged for the other one. He had to keep them distracted.

_Start a little chat and stall._ He thought.

"So you think you can steal from anywhere you want? Think again pal." The thug looked at him, with fear in his eyes. The fear turned to panic as he swung at the hero, easily being blocked with the bow.

"I swear I only was only going to steal enough to put food on the table!" The mobster knew he was toast, but he still didn't budge, he knew something Green Arrow didn't.

"hah, i doubt it. You've stolen enough to feed a king and his entire country." He let a snort out, he did that whenever he wanted to be sarcastic, yet serious. All he had to do was take care of these two and he could go home. Then he got arrogant, He decided to think or something else to say, but before he could he was put into a headlock by his accomplice. It wasn't a very strong headlock, even though it caught him by surprise he had recovered in a matter of seconds. After swiftly taking down his opponent with an uppercut he notched a regular arrow into his bow and aimed at where his second fight awaited him. Only, the man was already on the ground with shattered bits of ceramic around him. He didn't ponder on how this had happened when he heard fast paced steps running away from what had just occurred.

He didn't see a third creep enter, but he thought about all the other entrances of the building. He chased after the steps in the hall. The rapid movement had become a slow jog as he wondered where the third had gone. The hero wandered the halls knowing his prey couldn't escape without him knowing, he had the elevator stopped, and an alarm would sound if any of the fire escapes were opened.

A low rumble could be heard inside the room he passed.

_gotcha._ The man thought.

he kicked the door in letting light flood into the dark room. Notching an arrow before entering, he peeked inside. It was barren. He entered the room and walked to the adjacent wall from the door. He checked his corners before entering yet it was still empty.

"You're either the greatest hide and seek play i've ever seen, or i'm going crazy." He said aloud. He said it in the tone he used when fighting creeps, trying to freak them out.

a quick movement from the corner, behind the desk, darted to the door, but Arrows reflexes kicked in and took over as an arrow pierced the figure as it attempted to dodge it. He walked towards the character, as the silhouette struggled with the arrow in his shoulder. It had travelled cleanly through his right shoulder, between his scapula and humerus, and had pinned him to the wall behind. Something wasn't right though. The character had let out a gasp, but it wasn't of a man. It was a boy, with long bright blond hair. His skin was pale, and he was skinny. He had a look of fear in his eyes, as the man in green approached him. by the time Green Arrow had reached the place the boy was pinned, he had ripped the arrow out of the wall. He let out a grunt as he did it, but it looked much more painful than he let on. Blood soaked his shirt and seeped through where his hand covered the wound. Sprinting out of the building with a black duffel bag, and an arrow jutting out of his shoulder

He felt guilty knowing that he had shot a kid, and the trail of blood that followed did not help. He might have been working with the two thugs after all.

The alarm sounded, but he didn't dare follow, fearing that he might cause more damage. As he waited for the police to show up he saw the blood trail continue behind the building. the trail would only be washed away by the storm that was approaching in the next hour or so, but taking one final glance he saw that the trail ended in an alleyway not far from where the police and ambulance were. With that in mind he returned to the rest of his patrol, then back to Dinah at her house.

As he returned to Dinah's house (because Roy was at Oliver's house) he was asked by his _girlfriend_ if anything interesting had happened. He explained to her the events that had occurred, and was comforted when she felt his sympathy. She agreed with him that in the morning they would investigate. Although she was disappointed in Oliver for what he had done, she knew it was an accident and helped him with his guilt.

**Chapter 2 done, I say _girlfriend_ because I'm using their off and on relationship from the comics. (They have been together for 13-14 years in this) All will be explained in later chapters, sorry these are so short, I keep revising them to make them longer though. Still working on the whole "perspective thing" I don't really know how third person works, do i stick with 1 character or split between them. I mean I started with the boys, then this was from Green Arrows perspective. I wanted to stay away from dialogue for now because I'm still practising it, and want to improve a bit more.**


	3. He's my what?

Chapter 3

**Pre-Notes: Okay I think this is where I got serious, not beating around the bush on this one. Oh and I forgot in previous chapters, I only own the boy, he is my character. Everything else, not mine, or made up. Lots of irony in this chapter, it's how ridiculous how this happens.**

_Shit._

It was bad enough he had to leave his safe alley way, but he did not sign up for this crap. Being man hunted by a guy in a costume? Yea, he did not want any of it. The young man sat in the alley way staring at the arrow tail sticking out of his shoulder. He knew what he had to do, but he was reluctant. The blood was still oozing out, and if he didn't act soon the alley would become his grave.

Sirens blared in the distance, but it was better not to deal with the police. After all, he was a runaway. If he were to show himself he would just end up in the orphanage again. The boy finally gave in and placed his hand on the arrow. It was a weird angle but he had to grab it with both hands. He gave a tug, big mistake. The hole opened up again and fresh red liquid poured out. He had to do this quick, so the pain wouldn't be so bad.

_Alright, you can do this, it's not that hard._ He thought.

He took hold of the arrow once more. Except this time, he snapped the end off. It jostled the wound and the jolt of pain sent to boy into action as he placed his adjacent hand on the the shaft of the arrow protruding from the back of his shoulder. With a strong rip the arrow came out, leaving a piercing hole of flesh exposed. The red lights of the nearby ambulance grabbed his attention. He rose from behind the dumpster to seek medical help, disregarding the risks he would face. He knew they would ask his name, but it was either bleed out or answer a simple yet impossible question. He was about halfway to the ambulance vehicle when they saw him walking slowly towards them. The young kids face grew weary, and his eyelids slowly shut as his hand fell from his shoulder revealing the bleeding wound. Paramedics rushed over to him as he collapsed from blood loss.

He awoke in a hospital bed, with a needle stuck in his arm.

_Great. Just fucking great._ He thought.

He knew the risks when he acted, but looking back he would have rather died. He reached for the needle, about to pull it out, but the door opened and a doctor entered the room.

"Ah, you're awake. How are you feeling?"

The boy just looked at him, with a straight face, hiding his thoughts and emotions behind it. He wanted to avoid all of his questions, anything regarding himself at least. If he didn't know who he was, he didn't want others knowing who he was.

"It's okay, you are in good hands. We just need to know your name, and who your parents are."

_There it was, that stupid question._

He couldn't answer it. It wasn't amnesia, he could clearly recall his past. He was just never given a name. He had shown up in a basket on the doorstep of the orphanage without a note or anything. He was raised there, and responded to any name they gave him. Whether is was a regular name, or something demeaning. He gave a shrug to the doctor, regretting it as soon as he did.

"If you don't know who you are, we may have to run a blood test to check your DNA. is that alright?"

The boy shook his head, he didn't even want to think that he might have parents. The thought passed through the child's mind, _They gave me up, what makes you think they want me back?_ His face remained expressionless, yet the doctor could see something was bothering the kid.

"You took quite a nasty hit there." The doctor pointed to his shoulder as he said this. "Do you know how you got that?"

"BB gun"

The boy responded abruptly. He came up with the first thing in his head that sounded at least the the tiniest bit practical. He did not want to say any more than he had to, and if it came down to it he would make a run for it.

Sadly the doctor didn't buy it. He had seen a BB gun pellet and it was not the size of the hole in his shoulder. They had patched it up enough to stop the bleeding, and the stitches were enough to keep it closed till it had healed, yet the man still felt uneasy about it. It looked like a bullet hole, but he wondered why someone would shoot a kid.

"You sure? That's a pretty powerful BB gu-"

"It was close range. How long till I can leave?"

The boy retorted quickly, not bothering to let the man finish his sentence. The doctor was taken aback, usually the kids he treats are scared and want to stay until a parent shows up. He gazed at the boy, his blond hair was long enough in the front to cover one eye, yet short in the back. His one eye was bright cyan, he had a scar under his face that seemed as old as the boy himself. He wanted to help him, but the only way he could was by figuring out who he was. And the boy wasn't going to tell, he knew that for sure.

"I'm going to retrieve a few medical supplies so we can get you situated, alright? We need to run a blood test, so just sit tight."

He trusted the young male enough to think that he wouldn't run away. He was wrong. By the time he had gotten with the syringe, some food, and water, the room was empty. He called security to alert them there was a missing patient, but they had caught the boy already.

_Damn it, I had one chance, and I blew it._

He was held by two buffed out security guards. He kept squirming but made no noise. If he had to stay, he was going to make it as difficult as possible for them.

"Hold still kid, if you don't we're going to have to sedate you. Trust me, you don't want that."

The one security guard on top of him said. The boy stopped only to close his eyes and think. There had to be some way to get out of the situation, he just had to think. He was taught that there was always a solution to a problem, some are just harder to figure out, others have a bigger risk.

Just then the radio on one of the guards vests sounded. They had called to confirm that they had found the boy. One stayed on the radio, as the other pulled the kid up and walked him to his hospital room. The doctor awaited the boys return with a needle ready to draw blood. He was surprised when the kid didn't struggle or object, like he had given up.

If only that were true.

After he had gotten what the doctor needed he left the boy in the room with the plate of food. He locked the door from the outside to prevent his escape. He gave the blood sample to the hospitals lead scientist, he was in charge of DNA testing and had access to the police records of DNA. The doctor clocked out, leaving the scientist to run his tests, and the boy to plan his escape.

_There has got to be something around here... _

The boy was rummaging the drawers on the bedside table. Lost in his own thought, he placed objects on the bed that he thought could aid his escape. a few paper clips, and extra syringe, and a few useless objects. Yea, that escape was not going to happen. only the thought of a full on assault came into mind, but couldn't pull it off. Correction, he WOULDN'T pull it off, even if was life or death. He had always thought of himself as a pacifist, only because he thought that he was to weak to fight. It was decided then, if he could not do anything that night, he would do something the next day.

It was too late, The scientist had finished his research, and the results came back. Shocked by readings, the man wrote them down, and would inform the father the next day, as it was getting very late. Packing up and leaving his work space, he returned home.

-( ͡º ͜ʖ ͡º) The next day… ( ͡º ͜ʖ ͡º)-

The ringing of the phone was what awoke him. A moan is what it received. He reached over his bed to pick up the ringing box of annoyance. It was bad enough Dinah cancelled his plans with her, even after what had happened. He had gone back home to sleep off his night time life, but when the man on the other end told him the information he had obtained, it was clear he had awoken.

"What do you mean, he's my son? I don't have a son. I mean, not biologically at least. Is this just another media scam, I'm so sick of your shit, seriously. It's bad enough you harass me, but now prank calls?" Oliver didn't think it was funny at all, He had fallen for scams like these before, but this time it didn't feel like a prank, or a sham for that matter.

"Sir, this is not prank. We would like to run another test with more, recent DNA. Could you please come down to Star City hospital? Besides you do need to meet the boy, eventually."

"Are you sure, I mean does he even look like me? Do you know who the mother is? It could be dozens of other people. Besides, how old is he, and what is his name?"

"Mr. Queen this is why we called, we would like the information as well, and with your cooperation we may be able to solve it. And yes, he has a resemblance to you. He seems to be fairly young, maybe in his lower teens. I would say about thirteen. Now, when do you think you could stop by?"

"I'm on my way now." The blond billionaire replied. He was struck with confusion as to how this could have happened. He wasn't sure how Roy would handle this information, so he told him he had to make a run to office. Roy blew it off as a usual thing with his casual 'okay, whatever, text me if you need something' sigh.

A sigh of relief came out of his mouth as he drove up to the hospital to find no paparazzi, or any reporters. This also made him suspicious, what if it was a set-up. Then again, what if it was real. How would his kid react to finding out his father didn't know who he was.

"You're here Mr. Queen, follow me to start the test." The doctor greeted him quickly, more involved in wanting the results more than going through a casual conversation.

"Don't I get to see the kid first?" Oliver questioned the doctor.

"We will get to that after we determine if you're the father. Now please, follow me."

He obliged and allowed them to stick the needle in his fore arm and draw a few milliliters of blood. They had previously had drawn the blood from boy before Mr. Queen arrived. It was difficult, but they managed to do it. Oliver was informed, that the child had attempted to escape, twice, The second time required a bit of force though. The blond haired man sat quietly outside the scientists office as he waited for the results. It was then the door slowly creaked open revealing a female scientist. She had a certain look about her that made her seem young. Her expression wore a person who was nervous.

"Mr. Queen, sir, the results have come back positive, and the boy is in fact, your son. We also backtracked his DNA and found who the mother is as well. However, we have no information on the child and there are no police records, or any records for that matter on him. He told us he was adopted, but only one document was recovered, and the name was crossed out." The expression wore off as she informed the man in front of her. She retreated back into the labs, and sent out the lead scientist to talk him.

"So, I guess this really isn't a prank. Well, I only have two questions. Who's the mother, and when do I meet him?" He tried to play off the situation casually, but his mind was scrambled, and ringing could be heard in his ears.

"The results came back that a women by the name of a miss Dinah Lance, is the mother. As for the boy, you may meet him now. Follow me, he is on the fifth floor. Do you by chance still know Miss Lance?"

Oliver let out a kind of sarcastic snort.

"Still know her? She still is my _girlfriend_. Off and on, but we're still together." He didn't know how she would react to finding out she had a son too. He imagined what it would be like, and he did not want to see the sadness in her eyes knowing she wasn't able to be a "mother".

They had arrived at the fifth floor, and as they meandered down the hall the doctor explained to Oliver that the boy was quiet, and may not take the information the way he wanted to. They reached the door and there was a slight pause. He didn't know what the kid would look like, but sure hoped he would forgive him for not being there.

"Okay, I'm ready." He breathed out in a sort of sigh.

**Notes and shnizz: Yea, long chapter. I hoped you liked it as much as i did writing it. I know , I know, lot's of grammar issues. I don't really read over it until after I publish it. PLEASE for the love of (insert something you love) review, I need tips and constructive criticism. I think the next chapter will follow the boys perspective, (still 3rd person though).**


	4. I think I believe you

Chapter 4

**Big chapter plot wise. I don't own anything except the boy. Please review.**

He heard footsteps coming and going outside the room. Sometimes conversations along with the click of heels, the tap of shoes, than others there was silence. It went on all night, as he lay there planning his actions, running what might happen in the morning. He shouldn't have tried to run, but he wasn't going to risk it. He didn't want to go back to the orphanage, he didn't want to be adopted again. The fear of never seeing any good in people took over his mind. His thoughts became enveloped in past experiences. He wanted to cry, but he had to be strong. No one was going to comfort him, he had to stick out for himself and no one else. As he lay on the bed his eyes drifted shut, falling asleep to awake to someone unlocking the door.

"Hey, kid. Wake up, we need to run another blood test."

The doctor said as he shook the boy gently. The kid took no time to react, and at the took his eyes opened. He was a light sleeper, at least when his brain was on high alert. The kid hadn't felt safe in the past few weeks and had grown accustom to waking up quickly. He looked up at the doctor and sat up. Only to be met with the man holding a syringe. The man went for the boys arm, careful to be gentle but as he reached out the child backed away.

"No. I already gave you blood." His tone was sharp. Not angry, or scared, but there was a hint of panic.

"We might have found your parents, and your dad is on his way now. We called him this morning, and need another sample. Fresh DNA will hold better results."

"I don't have a father, stop lying."

A shock went through the boys body. Why would they lie about something so stupid. They wanted him to trust them, and get excited. He wasn't going to fall for it. Not this time, he was young when it had first happened, but then again it wasn't a doctor that told him the first time. It was a creep in a white van. He had easily slipped out of that freaks hands before he could commit his sin, but the thought that it could've been worse stuck in his memory.

"Everyone has a father, it's impossible not to. Listen, if you don't cooperate we may have to use force, and we don't want to do that. It isn't pleasant for us either you know."

He saw the fists of the youths tighten and turn white. He wondered what had happened to make his react this way to such good news. You would think a person would be ecstatic to know they have parents. He was about to explain to him that his possible father was a billionaire, and how lucky he was, but before he could the kid had sprinted past him. He let his guard down forgetting about what happened last night. If he wanted to find out the results, he would have to use force, even if he himself didn't want to. He radioed in that there was an escape attempt of a patient in progress. He was shaky calling it in, but he thought that it was the only way he could help the boy.

_He's lying, they are all fucking lying! _The boy thought.

His panic turned to fear, then morphed to anger as he rushed past the doctor. From his previous escape he received an idea of the layout of the hospital. All he had to do was get to storage and retrieve his bag. From there he could find a fire escape. He knew what he was doing seemed selfish. They might be telling the truth, but he was not going to take a chance. as he drifted the corner facing the elevator we was met with a guard exiting the lifts doors.

_Alright, stairs it is._

He made a mad dash down the hall he had previously been running down. He knew he could wrap around and flank to the stairs, but he wondered if the guard figured his plan out. With a little bit of luck his plan was successful, except for the security camera that saw his every action. The other guards on patrol were radioed in and informed of the attempt at escape. As he reached the first floor, he quietly slipped the door open, only to be greeted by the doctor and the same two guards he had a run in with last night.

"Fuck." He didn't mean to swear out loud, but it just slipped.

"Watch your mouth kid, we explained we don't want to use force, just relax. None of us want to hurt you." His expression completely counteracted the words he spoke. His face held a half smile full of phoniness.

"Yea, just relax, _kid_." The second guard piped in. He said it so caustically. He knew the boy didn't have a choice, but he was in a bad mood. A night shift into the morning was not a good job for him.

He saw the kids muscle tense as he was preparing to dash. He extended his arm just in time to grab him. His arm caught his body and the boy let out a gasp as the wind was knocked out of him. In a moments notice he was pulled into a private room and held down. It was a quick procedure but the kids struggle didn't loosen. No words were spoken, but the air was tense. He was put into his room given a brief apology. The click of a lock put the kid back into his room of silence and solitude. He didn't mind being alone, in fact he loved it. It was the fact that he was being forced there that made it aggravating.

Minutes turned to hours, and as time passed he grew more impatient. As he thought about how he shouldn't try to get away just yet the door jostled as someone unlocked it. Through the door a muffled voice could be heard.

"Okay, I'm ready." The voice echoed through the door.

A doctor entered with a man dressed in a black suit. He had bright blonde hair matched with a goatee that was neatly trimmed. He had a look of almost nervousness until he looked at the boy. His nervousness turned to a panic and surprise.

_Why is he looking at me like that, does he know me? Do I even know him? _The boy thought to himself.

"Hello sir, sorry for the inconvenience early, but I would like to introduce you to your father, Oliver Queen". The doctors voice was shaky, and his eyes watched the scene as if he was about to witness a car crash.

"Hey kid, how are you feeling?" Mr. Queen said in a gentle tone.

The child shrugged, his mind was racing. The boy didn't know what to say, hell, he wasn't sure how to react. Why did he show up now, of all the times when he needed him when he was younger. Should he be angry, or forgive him. He remained in his state contemplating his options carefully.

"Hey, lad, are you okay? It looks like that's a nasty blow?"

Oliver was eyeing the wound wrapped in gauze on his shoulder. He watched as the boy nod to express that he was okay, but either than that he avoided eye contact. The man had so many questions, but filtered through them, taking into account that the kid might have a lot of questions himself. after a moment of thought he only had one inquiry.

"What is your name?"

It was so direct. It seemed almost rude, but it was life long information. What did he and Dinah name their son? When was Dinah going to be here anyway? He had called her explaining the situation yet being careful not to tell her she had a so. Also, asking her to get there as fast as possible.

The kid didn't know what to say, he was debating if he would come clean, or at least a little bit clean. He finally made up his mind. It may have not been the best plan of action, but it was the safest.

"I-I don't know." He said in a low tone, almost as a whisper. He pulled his knees to his body and buried his face. The boy seemed like he was ashamed that he didn't know his name.

"Why didn't you tell us earlier, this might have been caused by amnesia. This is what I meant when I said we could help you." The doctor was careful with his words, but wanted to make a point that this wasn't a setup.

"It's not amnesia, I never hit my head on anything." The boy replied as he shook his head behind his legs.

"Hey, kiddo, it's alright. We can pick your name together. We just need to wait for your mother to get here." Oliver said it casually. As he said it, his cell phone rang, it was a high pitched ring, but it was a jingle. He left the room to answer leaving the quiet child and doctor alone.

"Hello?" he asked in an annoyed tone. The call had better been important, he was meeting his son after all.

"What room?" replied Dinah.

"547, where are you?"

"I'm about 20 feet away, hang up." She responded quickly, wanting to know why Ollie had asked her to come. Then Ollie saw her round the corner, wearing a black dress with an overcoat. It was her work attire, but on her it looked like a casual outfit.

"So, why are we here exactly?" She seemed interested in the topic.

"Dinah, I'd like to introduce you to someone very important." Ollie became nervous herself. He was going blind into the situation. He lead her into the room, and as Dinah met eyes with the young boy he said it lightly.

"This is my son, and he might be yours too."

He was breaking a sweat. He looked at the kid, then to Dinah, then back again. The look on the kids face was the same as when he met Oliver. Dinah, however, was a pure shock. She looked over to Oliver and with a quiet tone she asked,

"What do you mean he's your son, and MIGHT be mine too?" He could tell he made a mistake, but the doctor became his saving grace and decided to step in.

"Miss Lance, what Mr. Queen means is that we held a DNA test, and he came back as positive as the father. As for you, we back tracked and would like to ask if you would kindly allow us to test your DNA as well." His voice was steady, planning out each word carefully. He did his best to defuse the situation, and as Dinah agreed, lead her to the lab.

_Why, why, why. Why do they show up now? Where were they when I was a kid? You'd think they remember having a son. I mean, what the hell, how can you forget going through birth, and they were asking ME if I had amnesia? _

He kept his face buried incase he was making facial expressions as he thought, he used to do that alot when he was younger. He had stopped thinking about getting away, and more on how to get a grip on what was going on. The boy knew he should say something, but he couldn't form a sentence in his head.

"So, what do you like to do?" The man in front of him blurted out.

The kid knew he was just trying to lighten the mood, but the mood was so heavy it was crushing them both. No words could help the situation in front of each other. Meanwhile the man kept asking questions, he was having a meltdown. He nudged his head harder into his knees, trying to come up with answers, but nothing came to mind. It was like he didn't even know who he was, which was actually true, but not in the sense of hobbies.

"Sorry, it's just… well, don't take this wrong way, but i didn't know i had a son. I don't think your mother did either. I'm sorry we weren't there for you, but i don't understand why I don't remember." He started to feel guilty, how could he not know. He felt so ignorant, like he had failed. Then he thought about Roy, he didn't want to fail him either.

"It's okay" The muffled voice came from the kid through his legs.

"I don't understand how you don't remember me, but I- I think you're telling the truth. I'm not really good at talking, I just don't connect with people…"

His voice trailed off, he lost his train of thought, but Oliver knew he meant what the boy had said, because he had meant when he said himself. As they settled the issue, the door creaked open and Dinah shuffled in. She looked as if she was about to cry and spoke in such a soft tone, a mouse would have a hard time hearing her.

"I- I am so sorry. How could I- we forget about our son. You would think I remember giving birth, I just don't know how this happened. I just want you to know I am here now, I'm sorry." A small tear shed from the women who called herself Black Canary. She walked over to the boy and placed a hand on his head and ruffled his golden hair. He didn't respond much, but he placed his hand on hers to reassure he was okay, and that he forgave them. By now Oliver had sat down next to the boy as well and place his hand on his neck as a gesture to show he was there too.

"So, what do you want your name to be?" He whispered for the two of them to hear.

"Rundel. Rundel Haus, or Rudy for short." The boy whispered.

Rundel was the name of what he liked to call his older brother. In the orphanage, he helped him cope with others. He had passed when he was six, before he met Roy. He was constantly abused by the matron of the orphanage. One day he didn't come home from school and they had announce him dead in the bathroom. He had been cutting his wrists for the past few weeks, and hit a vein in the lavatory.

"Okay, Rudy, would you like to go home now?" whispered Oliver.

The boy gave a slight nod in agreement. He had found his family.

**whew, kind of long chapter. Kept editing because i wanted to reword things. This is going to an extremely slow story. Trust me, might see little snips of JL action, but nothing big until later on. As always PLEASE review, constructive criticism is what makes these improve.**


	5. Settlement with secrets

Chapter 5

**Okay, not sure if anyone is reading these anymore, but i'm still continueing these, I would appreciate reviews, or at least a comment to know that people are getting this far, or are getting bored. Oh and aren't you glad i finally gave him a name?**

They had left the hospital after signing the documents and filed Rundel's paper work. They left as a family, but there would have to be a few secrets. Oliver was worrying about how he would have to break the news to Roy, and Dinah was worrying about how they would keep their secret identities a secret around their son. As for Rudy, his emotions had turned to a gulage. He feared that his parents might not want him, but they had said they already had a son. He felt happy, but confused about finding his biological parent. To top is all off he was excited to finally see something good happen to him, even if he didn't deserve it. After all he had tried to escape. They had turned into a long winding driveway, and the boy caught a glimpse of his soon to be home

"Alright, we're here." Oliver said as he pulled up to the garage nearby.

"You and Dinah can head inside, i'll park the car." He seemed excited, but retained it.

As they entered the manor, the boy was overwhelmed. It was almost too big. He had been so accustomed to his small room, and the tight alleyways. Everything seemed so over the top and fancy.

"If it's too flashy you can always come visit me." Dinah said. She saw him looking around, trying to take it all in, but having trouble.

"You live separately? I thought you lived together. I thought you were together." He said quietly, careful not to say it in a tone that would upset her. He was curious, but wanted to stay quiet. Rudy wasn't ready to become an open book.

"We're still dating, Oliver is just a pinhead when it comes down to it. We love each other though." Dinah wanted to show that both her and Ollie would be there for him.

"What's this about me being a pinhead?" Olivers voice could be heard at the front door from the living room. He set the mood for the whole scene. The situation relaxed and they discussed how Rundel's future would be like for the time being.

Dinah and Oliver agreed that he had to be in bed by nine O'clock, because they worked at night sometimes. It would cover up their second lives for the time being, until they figured it out. Roy was at school, but would be home shortly, then both parents would introduce them. Rudy's face perked up at the name Roy, but Ollie blew it off as a kind of twitch. They had a quiet lunch, as the boy was still quiet, answering questions directly, and keeping it brief. He didn't like the topic being about him, and seemed to be interested in anything but himself. As they finished eating a voice could be heard from the front door with a quick slam of the door. Oliver stood up to stop Roy from walking in and seeing Rundel. He wanted to control the situation and allow them to meet in a calm environment. After they discussed it, Roy walked into the living room only to be greeted with an old friend.

"Roy." Rundel said in a surprised voice. Before he could protest Roy had run over to him and grasped him in a hug. The familiar scent sent Roy back in time. It comforted him, and reminded him of past experiences with him.

"So, I guess you two know each other?" Oliver had a grin on his face like he planned this all along. He was happy to see Roy be okay with the other kid. He was more than okay, he was happy.

"He helped me in the orphanage when we were younger. He's probably the reason I survived the other kids." Roy was exaggerating his words. He made it seem like Rudy was a great person, when it was the other way around. He had come to Roy when Roy was the new kid. All the other kids pushed him away, so the only people he could attach to were the new kids. All the time that Roy used telling how great the two were together, Rundel wore a small subtle grin. He was glad to see a familiar face, and to be living with one too, but he

"Alright Roy, alright, I get it, you two were great friends. What about homework?" It was blatantly obvious that he wanted to change the subject. The discomfort started to grow on Rudy's face as the stories became more exaggerated.

"Ollie it's fine, I'll do it later." Roy responded casually, he always blew his work of till the last minute.

"Alright kiddo, hey why don't you show your new brother where his room is, he can have the old guest room."

"A-are you sure? I mean I don't want to be a nuisance or get in the way." Rundel was already nervous, but instantly diving into a family brought it up to the next tier.

"Are you kidding? You're family, it's basically mandatory." Dinah said as she took the plates into the kitchen.

With a nod, but somewhat embarrassed expression Rudy followed his old friend up to his new room. It was small, just the way he liked it. There was enough space for a bed, desk, and that's about it. The white washed walls were nice, but too bright. Roy had said Oliver wouldn't mind having someone repaint it. The male had to keep reminding himself that his newfound father had a large sum of cash amassed from his job as CEO of Queen Industries. They sat in the bedroom, not really talking, but just taking in the fact that it was real.

"Rudy, I'm sorry I never was able to say goodbye. I wanted to, it's just that, well… It was kind of rushed."

Roy was trying to apologize for something he had no control over. Rundel knew he meant well, and accepted it with the look he used to give. Roy knew he was quiet, he also knew he hated to talk. The only thing he didn't know was what had happened after he was adopted. He didn't want to question him though, it was a big enough day for both of them as it was.

"It's fine, i should be the one to apologize. I feel like I'm invading your life."

He knew he was welcomed into the family but he couldn't shake the feeling of guilt. He hated accepting help, but his family didn't know this. They looked at each other and words weren't needed to know that both knew it was fine.

Rundel settled into his new home, and as the days past, he grew accustomed to the lifestyle. On weekends he would visit and sometimes stay with Dinah because Oliver had "weekend business". He joined Roy's school, but stayed quiet and was careful not to cling to Roy. He didn't connect with others, but he became close to his family. He was reluctant to express himself with the occasional grin every now and then, but Oliver, Roy, and Dinah still had yet to see him smile. December came around and it was getting colder. The hospital calculated Rudys age and results had shown he was born late December. Oliver and Dinah had left for the day, and Roy went to go see a movie with his friends, Rob, and Wally. Roy talked about them but Rudy never met them. Rundel spent a quiet day at Olivers house. Between the laptop Dinah had purchase, with a little financial aid from Oliver, and all the things in the house, he could keep himself occupied. He enjoyed playing video games, especially mmorpgs. He had heard about the new virtual reality game coming out that looked interesting. His day was good, and as the hours meshed together he dozed off…

scene switch -=-=-=-=-=- scene switch -=-=-=-=-=-

Recognised Green Arrow 08, Black Canary 09

The metallic voice rang through the lobby, as GA and Black Canary walked into the Watch Tower. The two lovers were greeted by Batman with his usual expressionless face, and Superman with a sort of half smile.

"We need to discuss what has happened with your personal life. Mainly the recent addition, to your household." Batmans gruff voice was straight forward and to the point.

"How did you find out?" Dinah was curious and taken aback about it, but then realised he was Batman, he practically knew everything. He had informed Superman as well to help discuss the topic. They were surprised by the fact that no one knew they had a son, not even the boys parents knew.

"We already discussed this together. The both of us agreed that we keep him out of this business. We fear it is too dangerous for him. Especially because it seems like he has no training." Dinah said. She glanced at Oliver every so often for support with explaining to Batman and Superman their decision. Once she had gotten to her point she awaited a response from the two men in front of her.

"okay. The Justice League agrees with your decision and will aid if any issue arises with your plan." Superman said. Batman gave a slight nod to show his acceptance of the decision as well.

"As for why we called you, an attack has been confirmed in Metropolis, we've called all high status leaguers to help with defending. Sightings of the Joker, Zod, and Mr. Freeze have been reported throughout the city in the past week. Immediate action has been put in place as Flash, Green Lantern, and Wonder Women have been sent forward first." Batman said in a monotone

that was straight to the point.

The fight was quick and was over in moments. Oliver was thinking about what would happen if Rundel did find out, but he took a blow from on of Zod's punches. It would definitely show a large bruise later on. After the enemies were beaten down, and taken to their respective prisons, the heroes returned home. Dinah returned to her condo as Oliver sneaked into his mansion, careful not to wake either of the kids.

**Zod is a a superman villain, (did a little research, but didn't look too far in, just pulled the name.)**

**Sorry for late upload, I like weekends so it's more me-time. This story will be slow paced, and it will be very difficult to write later on. There will be a massive Arc in the story, but I have to change some names and themes around so it won't become a cross-over. **

**Please review, It lets me know someone is reading. **


	6. Holiday

Chapter 6

**before writing this: awwwww yis gonna write about christmas, Rudys thoughts on the holidays are taken from how I feel about it. **

**Sorry for the short chapter, i'll try to make the next one long.**

Snow was falling, it covered the ground in blankets. It was early morning and rudy had planned to sleep till noon. He had pulled an all nighter running a dungeon in his game. He had become almost addicted, after locking himself away after school. He would still come out and allow his family to communicate with him whenever he felt he was away for too long, but as he lay there sleeping a storm was brewing. A storm consisting of Roy and the need to scream christmas. The door burst open and a small bundle of red jumped on Rudy as he awoke suddenly.

"It's Christmas dude, get up. Aren't you excited?!" Roy said in an excited tone.

"Huh? Yea, okay." He sat up-right looking out the window. He loved snow. Not Necessarily playing in it, but just watching it. It was relaxing and it soothed his nerves. The tugging on his arm pulled him out of his bed and downstairs. In the living room he was greeted by a crackling fire, and the smiled of his mother and father. Rundel was the last to wake up, not realizing it was a holiday.

"Merry Christmas." The two adults said in unison.

Both of them wore sweaters that would make you cringe. They were tacky, but seemed homemade, which gave it some explanation. Roy was already tearing through the gifts under the tree. The tree, how had Rudy not notice it. It was massive, and only a miracle had gotten it inside the house. The decorations were the usual overrated bulbs of green and red, with a tassel of gold wrapping around it. Then the traditional "homemade" ornaments sprinkled across it. He had gone into a trance of thought.

"Hey, kiddo, are you there? Open your presents!" Oliver said in a jovial way. He didn't know how many Christmas's he had celebrated, and wanted to make the first one special. That's why he picked out his gift for him.

"I have presents?" He seemed a little offset. He hadn't received a present since Roy gave him his black duffle bag.

"Of course you do! That's the point of Christmas right?" Dinah said. She knew it was every kids favorite part of the holiday, but then again, Rudy wasn't like most kids. He was so quiet, and reclusive.

Rundel walked over to the tree where Roy sat opening a rectangular box. Inside the box was a crimson bow with a well tailored quiver. Rudy knew he liked archery, it was a hobby he shared with Ollie. They went out shooting some nights, that's what they said everytime they left. He was handed a box about the size of four shoe boxes. It was covered in a plaid wrapping paper that was bright green. It looked nice and appealing to Oliver, that's why he chose. Plus he was semi-biased towards the color green.

"Woah, are you serious? This is really cool, but are you sure? I mean this is really expensive." The boy was surprised by the gift he was given. The look on his face was a mix of happiness and contemplation. He held the box in his hands and read the text on the side. It was a Cortex Helmet. It was one of the first fully developed virtual reality dive instruments released to the public. The tech was next-gen, and was only to be released in Japan, yet somehow Ollie pulled some strings and ordered one early.

"Of course i'm serious! Aren't I always?"

Dinah gave him a slight playful nudge to disagree and they all enjoyed the rest of their Christmas. Although Rudy didn't receive any other gifts, it was enough to keep a well-mannered expression on his face for the rest of the day. They spent the rest of the morning enjoying each others company, as Roy and Oliver went to practise with his new bow, Dinah and Rundel made cinnamon rolls scarfing them down before the other two males returned inside.

By four O'clock Rundel had retreated to his room, to read over the instructions of his helmet. Along with the helmet, the box included a game that was sure to be ground breaking within the video game realm, Sword Strike Online. It was said to be a vrmmorpg that included all forms of medieval combat, excluding magic. Of course the servers wouldn't go up for a few days, but Rudy was able to calibrate his options using the helmet. He had become well relaxed afterwards, and watched out the window as the snow began to fall. The view was phenomenal, but his greed wanted more. He climbed out from his parents balcony onto the roof. It was worth it. He could see all of Star City, the lights, the cars, and all of the bustling sounds echoed towards him. He reached out his hand, catching the snowflakes as they drifted downwards. He wanted to capture it. All the beauty, the images his eyes could retain of that moment. The feeling of escape lifted his spirits. He left his pain behind as he sat there, reaching out to the city, wanting to save the moment.

The minutes ticked by, and his family became curious as to where he wandered off to. The calling of his name pulled the boy out of his thoughts. Climbing down from the roof he was greeted with a worried look from Dinah. She thought he had run off or even worse, a sigh of relief was exhaled as she greeted him climbing down onto the balcony.

"What were you doing up there young man?!" Her voice was a kind of worry mixed with anger.

"Sorry. I just wanted to look."

"Look at what, there isn't anything up there?" Her thought became curious as to why he would attempt something so dangerous. The answer she received was a slight shrug, as she didn't push anymore.

"Well, we're eating dinner soon, wash-up and come downstairs please."

As he walked into the dining hall, he was greeted with a large array of foods that would keep the city well fed for A week. The aroma of ham, potatoes, and many other delicious foods filled his nose and caused his mouth to flood with water. They sat down and said grace, even though they didn't have any religious views. The night came quick, and Rudy had gone back to the roof. The scenic view became more relaxing as the glow of the city illuminated the skyline. He found himself reaching out, try to grasp what he couldn't. He pulled himself away from it all, back into reality. He had a nice life, and there was nothing to complain about. Yet he found himself thinking about another life, one that wasn't possible, but still there. He tucked himself into bed, as Ollie had some business to attend to, and Dinah went home early claiming she had work the next day. He slept soundly, and as he drifted his thoughts went back to his simple ideas on what to do with the rest of his winter break.

**sorry for the late upload, too much fun playing games. I don't know if it's obvious but I am blatantly setting up what is to come. The story may or may not be taken down, because i'm changing some names of things from another source. (so it won't be a crossover) please review, tell me your thoughts, predict what might happen. :)**


	7. Sword Strike Online

chapter 7

Christmas had past, but only by a week. Rundel had immersed himself in his again again, and Roy was being kept occupied by his presents he received over the break. Rudy had made it A thing to go onto the roof every so often. It was more relaxing than just looking out his window. Up there he could get A grasp on it all. The snow had started to fall once again and it just seemed so surreal to him. As it fell heavier he knew he should get down so he retreated to his room. Tomorrow he would go back to school, surely to be harassed by the teachers about the homework no one did. The servers for Sword Strike Online would go up tomorrow too, so he had something to look forward to. As he lay there he slowly closed his eyes only to awake in the morning not remembering falling asleep. It was late in the morning. Panic stricken, Rudy jumped out of bed and rushed downstairs.

_Shit, shit, shit, shit. How come no one woke me up?!_

As he entered the kitchen his thoughts met up with him, then he looked out the window. The snow was piled up high against the glass door. He had guessed that Roy and Oliver were still sleeping in, so he decided to enjoy his quiet morning the best he could. He made a quick breakfast and went back to his room to do whatever he wanted. As he walked past the counter a not read that Ollie and Roy had gone out to pick up a few things, but it seemed inconvenient to go outside on a day like this. What he didn't know was that they were out on patrol after hearing that Brick had escaped. Rundel went back to his room and checked the school website, yup, school was cancelled. That meant he had the whole day to himself, and he knew exactly what he would do. The servers would open in about thirty minutes US time, because they were hosted in Japan. He was unsure if the game would have an english translation, but he wasn't too worried. Reading over the directions to pass the time, he researched the game online. The creator had received many awards, and responded to many interviews. As he read, watched, and listened to information about the game and the Cortex Gear, the minutes ticked away. It was finally time to log in.

He adjusted his helmet so it fit snug. Linking into the houses internet using his ethernet cable. The digital clock appeared in the corner, as it read two PM. The game cartridge popped in, and he laid down on his bed. Closing his eyes he was ready for what was sure to be an experience.

"Game Connect." The boy said. The voice activated command started the reaction. The helmet used artificial brain waves to control the brain, putting it into a coma-like state. His eyes shut and the game came to life. His character was created from the calibrations he had set earlier and upon going through verification, entered the surreal world. Luckily, he set the language to English, but since he was the only english speaking person on the japanese server, there was sure to be issues.

Completing the tutorials he received a few starter items, giving him a quick beginning. He had read all about the combat system and the computer aided motion. He grasped the use of weapons easily, and was able to run through the beginner are rather quickly. As he progressed he saw many people with worried looks on their faces. Some cried, others had panic stricken faces. He wasn't sure why they seemed worried, after all, the game was great. It was only until a few hours had passed, that he learned why people were beginning to distressed. In the settings of the menu he couldn't find the logout button. In the instruction manual it said there would be one, yet it was nonexistent. It was only then that there was A mass teleport to the center of the town. A private message was sent out to all the players, written by the creator himself. Upon opening it, Rudy gave a worried look around, the private message was written by (technically) another player, and the issue was that it was in japanese. Mass hysteria broke out, but Rundel wasn't sure what was going on. These strangers had looks of fear in their eyes, but it was only a game. Surely it was just a server glitch. He wanted to know what was going on so he approached one of the nearby players. He was sticky with dark brown hair, he didn't seem as afraid of the others, so he might give an honest answer.

"H-hey, do you speak english?" The question was weak, but he needed answers. The answer was not what he was looking for, as his response was in another language. It was rather important he find out what was happening now. Rudy tried approaching someone else, A girl with long blonde hair. She was talking to her friend, in a fast paced way.

"Hello? Do you speak english? I don't know how to speak japanese." She gave a gesture for him to go away, this was starting to aggravate him. It was dire now, like being left out of a joke. Just then, he heard an english voice behind him. Rundel turned around to face A girl his age, with short black hair.

"You only speak english? Why are you on a japanese server? How'd you even get a Cortex Gear?" Her tone was like the rest of them, worried. Her curiosity overcame it though, but she could see that the boy in front of her didn't get what was going on.

"Oh, okay what's going on, yea, that. A game master sent a private message to everyone saying that logging out is not a defect. If you die in the game, you die in reality." Her voice faltered at the end of her sentence. The words were engraved into the boys mind, his sudden realization put him into a daze. He wanted to get out, but the attempts would be futile.

"He also said that the only way to escape was to beat the final boss. His final words were explaining how our avatars would look like our real bodies. Uh-hm do you by chance have any friends playing as well?" She sounded desperate as well.

"I kind of logged in by myself, oh, and my name is Yuno."

"Oh, uh I logged in by myself as well. My name is Raus." He was shaky as he spit the words out. They both had desperate looks on their faces.

"I received my helmet and game as a gift, I forgot that other people here would speak another language. D-do you mind if I party up, or add you to my friends list?" She gave him a nod, and accepted both requests.

No words were needed, running off into the wild they set out to level up together. They didn't know how long they would be trapped, but they would beat this death game, together. As they partied up, they connected well. Each encounter with a mob would be a fight for their life, no matter how weak the slime was. Yuno was skilled with her dual wielding daggers. Her hands worked so fast they would become invisible. Rundel thought his combat skills were lame compared to hers. He had picked an archery skill tree thinking about Oliver and Roy as he did so. It was a support class so he chose a strong secondary to help aid Yuno if she ran into trouble. That's when he felt strong. His speed with a sword went unmatched, as together they would take down monsters higher than their own levels. Fear still ran between the two, hell, even the whole player base. That's what pushed them to play. No one knew how long they would be trapped, so they worked quickly to end it.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- POV switch -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

"If I had known it would have been this cold I would have brought another layer." Roy complained. Olli had practically dragged him out of bed early in the morning. It was A snow day too! He had told him they had to go practise, then do a quick patrol. It wasn't very quick, as the had been running the rooftops for over an hour now.

"Alright kiddo, just a few more minutes. I bet Rudy freaked out when he woke up late, so we should get back and check up on him." Oliver shouted towards Roy. They both didn't feel right leaving him all alone, but their jobs were pretty important. As they returned home they snuck into the cave and switched clothes. It was extremely quiet all throughout the house, which seemed suspicious.

"Maybe he's still asleep?" Roy blurted out. He didn't know Rundel was the kind of person to sleep late, but he thought maybe it was just an accident. When they peaked into his room it gave them an explanation. He was laying down motionless with the the Cortex Gear on his head. They let him be, but when he didn't come down for lunch they began to question it. Then when he didn't come down for dinner, or even take the helmet off they began to worry. The next morning they began to panic. They searched up for issues concerning the removal of the helmet, and it did not look good. Their resources said the only safe removal would be from within the game. Any other form of removal could cause a permanent coma, or even death if removed improperly. AKA you take it off their head, and they die. There were many reports of death in japan relating to the Cortex Gear and the players using it along with Sword Strike Online. The players were later transferred to hospitals where they would be preserved by having nutrients injected into their bodies using a series of tubes.

Oliver cradled Dinah in the hospital room where Rundel lay. Roys anger turned against as he went into a fury. They had taken his brother away from him, and he didn't know how to react. The league couldn't do anything to help with the issue as any tampering of the games system database would result in a permanent removal of all connected players. They could only hope that one day they wake up, until then they had to keep quiet, and be patient. The family grew tense as the days passed on, fearing that they would get a call from the hospital. They followed the deaths reported in Japan, as they numbers grew gradually.

As the issue grew and grew, batman kept to himself researching as to how Rundel was even born without memory from Black Canary or Green Arrow. He had Martian Manhunter do a memory scan and he found a blank spot about the time span of ten months thirteen years ago. Pretty much the exact time Rudy was born. All they needed to know was how their memory had been wiped. The mystery gave them something to think about for the next few months as their son lay in a comatose state.

If only they knew how long it would take for their son to return.

**Dat plot twist doe. This is why A moderator might move this to a different section, It's almost a crossover. Emphasis on ALMOST, I changed some names and themes around. I won't write too much about what happens in the game, as this is a YJ fanfic. I might make the adventures Yuno and Raus have in the game another story, but for now I'll include just the plot points. As always PLEASE review, you have no clue how much I enjoy reading them, even the constructive criticism is nice. thanks.**


	8. The cost was too great

Chapter 8

It had been two years.

Dinah visited his hospital bed anytime she was free. No words needed to be spoken, she sit next to her slowly decaying son. Japan scientists didn't know how long it would take for the players to escape. Even the Justice League did not attempt to tamper with it. It had taken them two years for it all the fall apart.

Ever since Roy found Rudy with the helmet on he had become someone else. He grew angrier every time someone tried to comfort him. They didn't know how he felt, their pain was nothing compared to his. That's when things went bad. He picked up his drug addiction to help ease the pain. He would hide away and hit up so he could slip away for a few hours, until Ollie caught him. He was kicked out, living by himself. He refused to join the Justice League's little team, consisting of his friends, Robin, and Wally. There was no where to go. There wasn't a day he missed that he didn't check the hospital records to see if his brother died. Each time he would see his name, and a little sprite of hope would blink inside of him, but then again, no one, not even him could get A clear idea on what was happening inside the game. He could already be brain dead for all he knew.

Olivers body took over with guilt after the accident. He blamed himself for all of it. If he hadn't of bought that helmet, if he hadn't of shot him that night. He shouldn't say that, if what happened that night, he would have never found out he had a son. Well, eventually he might have, but not so young. He became tough on the enemies he fought, his inner self ignored he people around him. People like Roy. The anger from catching him shoot up in his own house fueled his fury. Everything just felt so wrong, like nothing good was ever going to happen. He just had to hang in there, it could take ten more years for all he knew.

The Justice League attempted to stay with the three heroes and support them. Their support seemed to have established a connection, but it quickly died down within the beginning few months. The parents grew tense, picking up more work to keep them occupied, and no one tried to talk to them as it was a sore subject. The whole league knew about the situation that they were in, but no one could really grasp the idea of someone being trapped in a virtual world.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- SSO (Sword Strike Online) -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Yuno and Raus looked over the mountains they had climbed. It was a big accomplishment for just the two of them. After all, the floor was for levels ninety and above. The weather reflected the real world but in an opposite manner. As they held hands snow began to fall around them. The flickering lights of the town below reminded Rudy of home, and as if on cue he held his hand out to reach to warm glowing lights. Yuno joined with him as she raised her palm to reach with his. It must be summer time where she was if it was snowing in the game. That meant it was nearing their third year in the game, but it would end soon. He knew it. They were close, and all the players knew it. The lives lost along the way had waited for this moment all along and now it was going to happen soon enough. They enjoyed their moment, and as the sun went down the lights began to show brighter.

"Kaitensaseru!"

"Rotate!"

Yuno's voice shouted down the hall. They meant for it to be a quick dungeon run. Some issues involving a wrong turn into the boss meant they had to face it alone. Their levels were much higher, but it was still a challenge. They had been successful on surviving this far in the game, and their relationship grew closer each day. Raus became dependant on Yuno, just as she had with Raus. They joined a small guild early on, only to see it crumble on a gold farm run gone wrong. They were ambushed by a raid of PvP players and the two were the only ones left alive. Each day was a fight for their life as they levelled up more and more. Raus had started learning japanese to accommodate for being in japan servers. He couldn't speak that well so he kept quiet, but he began to understand it fluently. He had become strong in what seemed like years within the game. His skills with a bow were unmatched in the game, and his sword speed was astoundingly powerful. Together the two were close to being unstoppable. It wasn't until near the end of the game that they took a blow that was almost impossible to recover from.

It had been three years since he put the helmet on, logging into the death game. He had been through so much since then. He had been through so much with Yuno. Their love had grown gradually over the time span, and they did everything together. He loved her, and she loved him. They had gathered with other tops players on the assault front, who made it their top priority to beat the game on day one. Claiming to have found the final boss of the game, they called all players to help aid in the fight. They had almost reached the goal, and here Raus and Yuno stood side by side along with the other members of the assault group, ready to take on the final boss. The boss was claimed to be unbeatable using an AoE that could kill you in one shot. It was dangerous but it had to be done. They ambushed the boss, and as Yuno charged up to a powerful strike, Raus launched a volley of arrows to aggro the boss so she would have time. As he let loose his assault of abilities, all empowering his own arrows, his health slowly depleted. He had taken some hits from the additional boss minions, and he knew he couldn't take much more. He let the other members fight while he recovered, but when he saw Yuno run into the boss as he swung at her, he knew there was no time. Before the final bossed sword touched her, he had dashed to him with his sword in hand. The sound of his sword slamming into the brunt of his maul could be heard around the arena. Without thinking he had begun a flurry of motion inputs slicing and dicing the NPC in front of him. It was when he took a nasty blow, that he stopped. Consuming A health potion he reconnected with Yuno, ready to finish the game together.

Their eyes locked and together they charged, not noticing the other players had backed away. It was too late. Raus stayed back, shouting for Yuno to retreat, but she didn't hear as the boss let loose its AoE attack. He watched as her body disintegrated in front of him. Her daggers lay there, with the ribbon she kept in her hair. The memories flooded him, filling him with fury as he launched his body at the boss for the true final fight. Each strike was fill with the hatred of everything that had hurt him. He was sick of it, sick of everything. He wanted to be with her, and they took her away. He wanted to escape with her, for Yuno to meet him in person, and meet his family. His family came to mind, and it only fuelled the fire. The boss let loose a screech and burst into pieces in an explosion of light. He had beaten it, not alone, but together. Together, with someone that was no longer there. The price was too high to have won.

The world fell apart around him as he sat next to the ribbon and knives. Each moment felt longer than it should have. He gripped his sword, and with his bow slung on his shoulder like it did everytime he rotated with Yuno. Everyone was being logged out by the system, yet he wasn't. His tears ran down his face as he fell to his knees, contemplating why it had to be him. Why every thing always ended up coming back around to him.

"Sutando."

"Stand." a deep voice in front of him said.

Raus looked up to meet a medium sized man, in full clad armor in front of him. He seemed familiar, but his name was long forgotten. The sudden realization showed in the boys eyes as he recognized the man.

"Makuto" The games creator. The one who caused all this, his world where people had come to die. Rudy wanted to lunge at him, but something stopped him. His thoughts came to why he was facing him.

"Anata wa hoka no pureiyā ga korera no kakosūnen ni yatte inai nanika o shita."

("You did something no other player has done in these past years.") Makuto said. He seemed impressed, but why. Raus was now standing staring at the god of this world.

"Anata wa shisutemu o hakai suru tame ni anata no ishi o shiyō shita saisho no. Anata wa nan'ninka no purēyā ga karera no zentai no seikatsu o shita yori, 1 no tatakai de yori ōku no damēji o atae rareta. Anata wa watashi ni ningen no shin no chikara, soshite aruteido, itami, soshite anata ga sore o shōmei suru tame ni tsūka shinakereba naranai kanjō o shimeshite iru. Sonotame ni, watashi wa anata ni hōshū o ataeru tsumorida. Watashi wa kansha to shite, jikan no keika to tomoni anata ni 7 okurimono no gōkei ga e raremasu."

("You were the first to use your willpower to break the system. You dealt more damage in one fight, than some players did their whole lives. You have shown me the true power of the human being, and the extent, pain, and emotions you have to go through to prove it. For that, I'm going to reward you. I will give you a total of seven gifts over the course of time, as thanks.")

"no" Raus had made fists that were white as snow. He didn't want gratitude. He wanted everything back, but he could understand the man, somewhat at least. He now understood why he started this whole test. This wasn't just an experiment to the creator, he knew it now. Makuto hated the real world, he wanted to escape. He knew others wanted to escape so he created this world for the others to enjoy as well. His anger overcame his sympathy.

"Anata wa sudeni watashi ga hoshī mono o shitte imasu."

("You already know what I want.") Raus was pointing down to the ribbon and daggers.

"Kanojo wa watashi ga kanojo no senaka o motarasu koto wa dekimasen, nakunatte imasu. Kanojo no kokoro wa, sudeni genjitsu no sekaidenaku natte imasu. Watashi wa anata ni watashi wa anata o saru koto ni naru ta no 6 no okurimono to issho de kanojo o oboete iru tame ni nanika o ataerudarou. Watashi wa anata no sonshitsu no tame ni mōshiwakearimasenga, genjitsu no sekaide wa, sore ga yoku naru koto wa arimasen. Watashitachi wa 1-nichi-me ni wa me o miru koto o negatte"

("She is gone, I can not bring her back. Her mind is gone in the real world already. I will give you something to remember her by along with the other six gifts I will be leaving you. I'm sorry for your loss, but in the real world, it will not get any better. I hope we will one day see eye to eye.")

His eyes held an apology that was full of guilt and remorse.

Before Rudy could protest, everything went white. His body became weak, keeping his eyes shut, light leaked through his eyelids. He was in the real world. The buzzing of white noise rang in his ears. Tears filled his eyes as he mourned his loss silently. He could never see her again, he would never be able to say goodbye, to even confess his feelings. His thoughts then turned to the real world. How would we integrate himself back into society. He hadn't spoken english in at least two years, and it wouldn't be easy to just switch back. Yuno had taught him how to read, speak, and even write a small portion of japanese. What seemed like an eternal lifetime was fifteen minutes of contemplating his existence.

"_Naze? Naze sore ga itsumo watashidesu!"_

"Why? Why is it always is me!"

His brain blew a fuse, his life was a mess, and he couldn't control it. How would he get back into society if he would have trouble communicating, his thoughts were japanese! He just wanted to see someone, his parents, Roy, anyone. He would soon fall asleep from high emotions. The stress was enough to tire him out, and it would take a long time to recover from the coma. His body had taken a massive toll, as he had been fed through a tube for the past three years. His bones were brittle, skinny and practically no muscle. His skin had become ghost pale, and his eyes had sunk into his eyes. The voice of Makuto rang in his head, six gifts. As his eyes grew weary his last thought were about what he had meant by gifts.

**Sorry for the super late upload, I haven't had time to type. Also, sorry for the quick rap-up of this arc, I just needed to get my plot points in to set up for later, it is a YJ fanfic after all. Speaking of, they will be in the story shortly, 2-3 more chapters :) looking more like 3. Review as always, still need to know how to improve. **


	9. Recovery

Chapter 9

**Alright, I want to lay back for now, just have a casual fluff chapter, takin' it easy for now. I promise, no big plot points now. Lazy introduction and fluffy family. FAMILY.**

It was a quiet day, December had just started, and already snow covered the ground in a thin layer. Even in Star City, snow drifted down. The brisk air was caused from a run in with Icicle after trying to freeze over the city, but Green Arrow and Black Canary dealt with it quickly. Green Arrow was almost always angry, his voice had a tone of annoyance, and he was 3 notches short from shouting. Dinah had returned home with him. She had been trying to spend more time with him after Roy was caught injecting narcotics. Stress loomed over the two as things just seemed to grow worse. It was about to break, but a light had shone through. His cell phone rang in an annoying tone, it was his business phone, and he had just about had it with his business. Preparing to break it in half, he checked who it was. Bruce Wayne.

"Check the news on the Sword Strike Online story." His voice was rushed as he hung up

Oliver didn't know what he was talking about. He probably just meant some more reported deaths, the he started fear if one of the dead was his son. He had survived this long then died, but when he went onto the website created for news related to the Sword Strike Online death game, he sat there in complete satisfaction. They had cleared the game. The remaining six thousand of the beginning seventeen thousand had cleared it all, and were logged out safely. Ollies thoughts rushed to make a statement about it, but his body was acting before his brain. He ran out to his car and sped to the hospital calling Dinah along the way. How would he greet his son again, maybe he's forgotten who he was. The satisfaction had grown to nervousness as he his brain processed seeing his son awake again.

Dinah was much closer to the hospital than Oliver so she waited for him to greet their now awake son together. They were directed to his room by the doctor who watched over the unconscious teenager, and left them at the door to meet him alone. It was a deja vu moment for the both, like how they had met him for the first time. Then, they entered the door.

Rundel was sitting up, but he kept his eyes closed. His hair had grown under the helmet, and was down past his shoulders. Light refracted through the bright blonde hair, and it was clear he was awake, as his breathing pattern was much deeper. His pale skin was ghost-like, and as he tried to move his limp body was shaky. He was a thirteen year old trapped in what now would be a sixteen, turning seventeen year olds body.

"Rundel." Dinah had briskly walked over to him to lightly cradle him. He allowed her to, but had a face that seemed like it was almost painful. He wanted to say something, he just didn't know how to phrase it.

"I-I am sorry. It is hard s-speak english right now." He stuttered out, missing a few a few words, and having trouble forming the words in his mouth.

"Rudy, it's okay. We're so happy you're back, we've missed you so much." Oliver wanted to let him know how they felt. He came with the direct approach, and was straight forward with his words.

Rundel gave a slight nod, his mind was clearly on something else, but he conveyed his emotion best he could, letting them know he loved them too.

"Hey, what's this around your neck?" Dinah was looking at a dark green ribbon with two small daggers on the end forming a necklace around the boys pale, skinny neck. The response struck the boys nerve and tears formed in his eyes. No words were needed to explain it was something important to him, and that he was not ready to talk about it. Rundel silently thanked Makuto, and as if on cue he heard a voice in his head.

_Six more gifts._

The next week went by quickly for the three. Rundel was put into a recovery program focusing on getting him back on his feet. He improved gradually and was able to form sentences more easily, almost walk, and improve his reflexes within the first week. Oliver and Dinah visited constantly, and Roy had visited him. He looked worse for wear, and Rundel wanted to know why. Roy tried to explain how he was weak when he had gone under the emotional stress, but Rudy reaffirmed him that it was his own doing. He hated seeing Roy so broken, it was his fault he had turned to drugs. Rundel promised he would help him, even if it meant it would set him back. They each enjoyed each others company until Roy had to leave, claiming he had work. Secretly he was still doing his nightly patrol, but as Red Arrow, not Speedy.

By the second week Rudy was released, but only if Oliver swore on his life not to let him run, or even stand on his feet too long. So this is where Rudy's lazy day started.

His old bed, it was so comfortable. Much comfortable than the hospital rooms. His things were right where he left them, except a fine coat of dust covered it. He had gotten home last night, but he was still tired. He hated taking medication, and another incident, much like the blood draw, almost went down. The hospital needed him to take a final dose of IV before heading home, claiming that he would absolutely need it. He didn't buy it, and if it wasn't for Dinah he would have started an all out smack down, not caring if his bones were practically glass. The past few days seemed hazy, and it mind wouldn't wear off from the medication for another few days, and when the doctors explained this to his parents all they thought was that they could love him as much as they wanted and he wouldn't remember. Knowing this, Oliver was going to abuse it as much as he could. The door opened up and as he crept into Rundel's room he watched the motionless figure. As he sat down a murmur was heard under the covers.

"Haha, alright kid, we have to get you up. You haven't eaten anything but liquid medication for the past few years." His voice was soothing to Rudy, he wished it could go on forever. Before Rundel could protest his body was in the air, as Oliver picked him up carefully. This woke Rudy up quickly.

"Nani!"

"What the!"

"O-oliver, w-what stop, I can walk!" His voice was just above a whisper, but his tone shouted protest.

"I don't want to hear it, you're practically made of glass right now, and I won't let anything happen to you."

_I promise._

Dinah was downstairs making breakfast. She had moved in with Ollie for the time being as Rudy came home. She had met up with Batman to discuss smaller amount of patrols to spend more time with their kid. He agreed, but only for a few weeks until he recovered. By now, Oliver had come downstairs plopping the teenager on the couch, holding him in a tight hug. They had cut his hair, letting it flow around his ears, but just above the shoulders. He looked content, being back with his family, it was clear on his face. She said good morning as she walked in handing a plate of extra soft pancakes and a glass of milk, staring at Rudy to start eating. She had made extra for the three of them, and they casually sat with the TV on, flipping channels. Rudy had his whole day planned out for him, but he noticed it made them smile, so he went along with it. Dinah had gone out to work for a bit, and left Oliver to keep Rundel busy. The boy was still groggy, with a slow reaction time. The medication had worked, but the effects were definitely showing. Oliver hugged him, taking into the warmth emanating from his kid. He knew he wouldn't really remember any of it, but the hug he gave back was comforting. Before he knew it, Rudy had fallen back asleep, and his breathing became a slow, constant, beating. Ollie had begun to look at the ribbon around his neck, it was surprisingly detailed, but he couldn't distinguish the fabric, and he wondered where he would have gotten it in the first place. He didn't think about it for too long as Rudy had awoken already. Oliver knew what Roy enjoyed doing when he was home sick, or injured from his other life. He tried to do the things he enjoyed, like setting up some video games. An hour or so passed, after Rudy had thoroughly beaten him at every game. As they wrapped up, his phone range once again, and Batman was on the other end. He needed immediate assistance, and had to have him hurry. He knew it was important just by the rushed voice, but at the same time he didn't want to leave Rundel. It was his duty though.

"Hey, kiddo, work called in, and said it was an emergency. I have to go for a bit."

"hmm? Okay." Oliver internally sighed, at least he didn't seem to upset.

"Dad, I love you." He was halfway out the door, and the faint voice caught him, the words hit him in a way that changed his mood. It was a good mood.

"I love you too, you should get some rest." Without looking back he left, not wanting his son to see his face.

He didn't remember much. Rudy awoke looking up at Roy. Somehow he had slid under his head, and he rested on his lap. He looked so much older. His red hair was short, but hung loosely. His eyes seemed a little sunken, but vivid. They looked at each other, but Roy thought it felt different. Rundel seemed so old, like he had gone through something so traumatic within the game. Roy's thoughts went on thinking about how being thirteen trapped alone in another world. Rudy's voice broke his concentration as he stared into nothing.

"Roy, I need to get up." His speech was slurred. It must have been that jacked up medication he was on, but he was still getting used to speaking english as well. Roy had known what it was like, and he didn't want Rudy going through it. He needed to talk to him about the drugs later on, but for now he helped him get up and get to the bathroom, then to the kitchen to grab something to eat. He noticed that when his friend walked he kind of shook, it must have been that his body was still weak. It was about four PM now, but Rudy knew the food would hold him over for the night.

"Rundel, I've got to go, are you okay alone?" He had gotten a text from Robin, asking him to meet randomly. He couldn't just ignore it, random texts were usually important.

"Y-yea. It okay." The voice called from the room next to him, is was uneven, but sounded good enough.

_Finally, alone._

Rudy thought. He didn't mind being smothered, seeing them all look at him with guilt, but he could only take so much. He retreated to his room only to fall asleep for what felt like day. Awaking to someone ruffling his hair. The room was dark and he couldn't make out who it was. Then the soft voice filled the room.

"I'm so sorry. I am so sorry Rudy." Dinah put so much emotions into her words, Rudy thought it was a bit much. Sitting up he reassured her again that it wasn't her fault. Explaining once again he was fine, but the medicine was kicking in overdrive making him extremely drowsy. She left him to sleep more, and as he awoke the next morning, he had little to no memory of the day before. The routine carried on for a few more days, and since the medicine had worn off he began to get his memory back. Each day he was smothered less and less. It was getting late in the day now, as no light was coming from the windows anymore.

"Alright kiddo, not what"? Ollie felt odd about calling him a kid when he had the appearance of someone so much older, but the boy had just crushed him at all his best games once more.

"I-I know the doctor said not to, but…" His voice kind of trailed off, but he came back around to finish it.

"Can I go outside?" It was such an innocent question, but doctors orders were to keep him in a stable environment. Outside wasn't very stable, as fresh snow poured out the sky. The days had slipped by and it was about mid-December now. Rudy had been making an extremely quick recovery, as his color had come back, and was walking well. His speech was still uneven, but it was just a side effect from the game.

"sure" Ollie let out a small chuckle to accommodate his short response.

He watched as the blonde teenager put on his shoes, and step outside. The snow flickered down as he walked out off the front porch. He walked down to the front of the mansion while Ollie stayed about one hundred feet behind. It was pretty dark now and the city lights glowed down the hill. He watched as Rudy stood there, reaching one hand out towards the city. It was odd, but only Rudy knew what it truly meant.

The lights weren't the same to Rudy as he reached out, it wasn't the same without Yuno. She had changed him in every positive way, giving him hope and inspiring him to do the things he once couldn't His imagination took over his brain as he hallucinated the image of Yuno reaching with him, allowing him to show her the view he described to her as beautiful. He had promised he would show her one day, and this was his way of making it up to her, but no one else would ever understand. Not even Ollie, who must of thought he was crazy by now. A few minutes passed and he went back inside with Oliver. As Oliver pulled him into a hug he realised the boy was practically frozen. The doctor must have been right about his body not being able to handle the instability of weather. It was worth it though, it gave Oliver an idea of what he was like. He wanted to hold him tightly forever, never letting anything bad happen again. Rudy replied the same, never wanting to hurt his parents again.

Dinah wanted to help Rudy seeing the emotions beneath his blank expressions, after all she was a psychologist, but she was also a mother. Rudy kept it private, and knew she wanted to know. When she pushed too much he would let her know, he didn't want to push her away, but he wasn't ready to explain everything that had happened.

The time would come, when he would let her, and everyone else know. He had some things to learn about himself too.

**Alright, tried to make it a little longer. I kind of pulled the whole thing about reaching out to lights from my childhood (i was a weird kid) but I didn't realize it was a massive theme in The Great Gatsby, so it's kind of a two way street, meaning two things. I wanted more fluff with Dinah, but was having brain malfunctions. Thanks for reading, it would amazeballs if you reviewed, only way to know if I am getting better.**


	10. Another holiday

Chapter 10

The outside was Rundel's escape. He felt the cold air on his skin and breathed in the dry air whenever he had a chance to step outside. The mid to late December air burnt his lungs, but in a good way. It had been almost three weeks since he awoke, and not a day went by without him thinking about his old life in the game. His old life with Yuno. Dinah had poked and prodded gently to figure out what had happened, but even then, Rundel hadn't said who he lost, or even their name. She just knew he lost someone close. Dinah tried to be like Ollie since the first week after she was done questioning. She loosened up and helped the teenager get back on his feet. They did things together and she would catch the old glimpse of the smirk he once wore when he hid emotions. It wasn't a great day though, after he came inside they finished watching TV, his parents had promised the doctor to take him to the hospital every now and then to aid his healing.

He hated his weekly checkups at the hospital. It was obvious he was agitated by the people, the medical instruments, and the all around ambience. The fact that they always tried to get him to take more medication did not help it either. He stayed close to his parents, especially Dinah, because he knew they wanted to help him. The doctor claimed he was making an extremely quick recovery, but still insisted that he stay at the hospital and use the IV's. Of course the boy refused, but the doctor kept pushing. He didn't notice how much distress

it put on the boy. After finally negotiating that a small dose would be sufficient, he was able to go home. The drugs were horrible, and although it helped him recover quicker, it gave him terrible night terrors. It would mess with his head, taking the horrible memories and allow them to bubble up to his mind. Not only would it do this, but he would wake up feeling groggy and unable to recall the prior day. Ollie noticed this by the second week and informed Dinah, allowing them to both agree that he needed to lay off the drugs. In a week it would be better. The holidays were approaching, and Roy had promised a visit, not only just to visit Rudy, but to make amends with Oliver and Dinah. Rundel calmed him down to think out a solid resolution, and making up for what he had done felt like the only plausible outcome.

Rudy woke up not being able to open his eyes. His eyelids were droopy and all the stupid pills he had to keep taking were starting to add up. The air was cool in his room, and his body felt numb. The blankets felt like air, not being able to keep any heat in. A small amount of light seeped through the curtains and hit his eyes. It must have been early in the morning because he could smell breakfast downstairs. He sat up, allowing his eyes to open and adjust to rays of light. Footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs. As he stood up, he adjusted his shirt, and let his pajama pants hang loose. The door opened showing a short haired redhead stand in the doorway. Roy.

"Hey, Merry Christmas." His voice was low, and quiet. Looking at Rudy he could tell he didn't know what day it was. The past few weeks have been insanely tough on him, but he was getting healthier. He was able to walk and even run when he even wanted to. His eyes were half closed, and his body was still skinny, but his eyes still showed confusion.

"What day is it?" He kind of cussed under his breath as he realized how stupid of a question it was. He wasn't thinking right, but as they went downstairs and ate breakfast he woke up. The tree sat in the corner, much smaller than when he was a kid. They didn't decorate, and there were few lights.

"Where is Dinah and Oliver?" He said quietly as he took a bite of cereal.

"They are meeting a few friends then coming back here with them, they wanted to introduce you. Afterall, they are lifelong friends of theirs." He knew it was meant to be a surprise, but he knew Rundel best, and Rundel hated surprises.

"Did he ever talk about them before? I don't really remember." It was true, they were his 'secret' friends. They would usually say they were going out with people from their work, so he would leave it at that.

"yea, you probably just don't remember, so what do you want to do?" He tried to change the subject, and his straight forward approach seemed to work.

They ignored the presents and christmas things and played video games for a bit until Roy received a text. It was from Oliver telling him there was a change of plans. He knew he had told Rudy about it, so they decided to set them up for one. They were going to meet at Dinahs Condo instead. It may have not been that big, but it was still a large size, and had enough space to fit everyone. Rudy put on a pair of jeans with a hoodie, and Roy drove them there. Roy had gotten his license A few months before, and had been driving around whenever he could. They arrived at the condo and went up the elevator to the floor it was on..

The news had forecasted for heavy snow, but later on in the day. A wreath hung on the door that was a dark rouge color. Roy knocked as Rudy walked slowly up the steps, deep in thought, but Roy could only wonder what about. Dinah answered genially, greeting them both, and saying good morning to Rudy. They went inside and were greeted with a large sum of people in the living room. Rudy had the thought of this happening but was still caught a little off guard.

_Why do they go through all this trouble, why do I even have to be here._

Oliver came over to the two of them, pulling Roy into a hug, then Rundel. He took a look around the room. What use to be white walls when he visited as a kid were now painted red. Pictures lined the wall with photos of Oliver, Roy, and himself. As for decorations, they were all over the place. Tinsel and holly were strewn across the room making it look like a Christmas miracle had vomited. Rudy hated it, but played it off. The tree was as big as before, with even more ornaments. A fake fire crackled, but set the mood of the room.

"Rudy, I'd like you to meet a few friends of ours. This is Barry Allen." Pointing to a blonde man in a tacky sweatervest with trees on it. The man gave a wave of acknowledgement as he continued his conversation with Dinah.

"That's Diana Prince." As he averted his attention to a woman with long black hair.

"Nice to meet you Rundel, I've heard good things about you." Her voice was smooth, and relaxing.

"Alright, here we have Clark Kent, he's a reporter." A man with glasses gave a slight nod to say hello.

"And here we have J'on." A tall black man stood before the two of them.

"I would like you to meet a personal friend of mine B-"

"Bruce Wayne." A man with short black hair finished his sentence and offered Rudy a handshake. Reluctantly Rudy shook back, but he was nervous. He sucked at remembering names, and he kept going back to useless thoughts.

"Hey, Rudy, why don't you meet some of my friends?" A voice was thrown across the room. It was Roy, sitting next to some other teenagers that looked his age. Rundel slowly made his way over, and was greeted calmly by Roy, and his soon to be introduced friends.

"Alright, this is Wally, Rob, Kaldur, Megan, and Artemis. Guys, say hi." He pointed to each one as he said their names, and they looked back at Rundel with A smile that was only there to try to be friendly. News spread quickly and they all knew what happened to Rudy one way or another. They just didn't know how much it had affected them.

The teenagers ensued small talk and tried to keep including Rudy, but he kindly refused. He felt like they all had a deeper connection together than him. He kept feeling something in the back of his head, like someone had their hand in his brain. Rundel blew it off making an excuse that it was just medicine effects. Time passed, and the conversations faded. The adults decided it was time to open their gifts, because after all it was a holiday party. Roy reluctantly took his gift, but upon opening it his mood changed. It was a type of sight that was attachable for a bow. Rob opened a gift from his adoptive father, it was a watch that could display holograms. It was really cool, but the tech seemed next gen, but the Cortex Gear he got was also next gen. Megan had a opened a box with a sweater inside. Kaldur received a grey sweatshirt to match his eyes. Rudy didn't want anything, he thought gifts weren't needed.

"Rudy, open this." Roy said as he tossed him a small box. It was wrapped in a silver and black paper. He didn't want to open it, but something about it seemed off. The tops of the box had a logo that looked like a ribbon and two daggers, which sent a shiver down Rundel's spine. He quickly scanned it for a name tag, but nothing was written.

"W-who is this from?" He kept his voice low, but it was caught in a silent stand still, causing everyone in the room to turn their heads.

"I thought it was from Dinah." Roy said, but his face seemed uncertain.

"No, that's not my gift." Dinah said to counter Roy's words.

Slowly, Rundel unwrapped the paper, revealing a white box with the same logo on the front in black. He opened the box to reveal a small diamond shaped cube. It didn't feel right. He knew what it was, but he wanted to know how it existed in this world. It was a device you could use to record messages and send to friends within Sword Strike Online. Yuno and him had used them for a bit when they were separated, but he wanted to focus on how it was right in front of him in the real world. He picked it out of the box and held in his hand, not at all prepared for what was going to happen. He tapped the play button, only to hear a long lost voice.

"Kon'nichiwa Rundel, watashi wa sōdosutoraiku no saigo no sūbun de anata o nokoshite yaku gomen'nasai. Watashi o yurushitaga, Makuto wa watashi ga saishū-tekina messēji ni nokosu koto ga dekiru to yakusoku shite kudasai. Watashi wa anata ga watashi wa anata o aishite iru koto o shitte hoshī ga, anata wa ue ni idō suru hitsuyō ga arimasu. Anata wa watashi o mochikaeruga, watashi wa itsumo nani ga okorou to, anata o aishite inai koto o shiru koto ga dekinai. Watashi no shi no tame ni jibun o semenaide kudasai, soreha watakushijishin no yatte ita. Sore wa kasō sekai ni ita to shite mo, soreha watashiniha honmonodatta, watashinojinsei no utsukushi-sa o shimeshite itadaki arigatōgozaimasu. Watashi wa anata o aishite, arigatōgozaimasu."

("Hello Rundel, I'm sorry about leaving you in the last few minutes of Sword Strike. Please forgive me, but Makuto promised I could leave on final message. I want you to know that I love you, but you must move on. You can not bring me back, but know that I will always love you, no matter what happens. Please do not blame yourself for my death, it was my own doing. Thank you for showing me the beauty of life, even if it was in a virtual world, it was real to me. Thank you, I love you.")

His back hit the wall as he slid down with the final words of the message. The silent tears fell continuously, and the room was dead silent. Even though she was speaking japanese, they knew what had just happened. He sat there crumpled on the floor as the heartache seethed throughout his body. He had to abide by her words, he had to forgive himself for her. Only for her. The room stayed silent for minutes as he let his tears come in full force, with the diamond shaped message tight in his hand. The box sat next to him and the lid in his other hand. He stared at the design on the top as he let his blonde hair fall over his face, hiding his emotions from the world. As he observed the lid, he noticed a message inscribed on the inside.

_five more to go, meet me on the balcony. -Makuto_

He slowly pulled himself up, not daring to look at the others in fear of what they thought of him. without saying a word he slipped outside of the room, onto the balcony. The night was cool, and snow was coming down heavy. He was met with the man sitting on the edge of the snow covered ledge. He was a transparent figure with a lab coat, looking out over the city. Without turning he started to speak.

"I know this is a painful gift, but you must remember, it is a gift. I have another one as well if you're ready." His voice made it clear, that he wanted to be straight to the point.

Rudy gave a slight nod in agreement.

_If this is what it's like, how much worse could it get. _ He thought.

"One gift will take time for you to acknowledge, and I wish for that one day you will master it. The other gift will wait for you in your room, in that duffel bag you own. As for the others, they are yet to come." He had finished his words, and was ready to leave, but he stuck around for a minute.

"Did she ask you to leave a message for me?" Rundel knew it was a stupid question, but he needed to know.

"Yes." The reply was toneless, with no emotion.

"Well, I must be off now, and Raus, she loved you. I hope that you will remember it always."

With his final words he had vanished. He walked off the ledge and faded into nothing, leaving Rundel in astonishment. It was only then he realized how cold it was. His body was numb, and he couldn't feel his arms. The tears had froze on his face, leaving it to sting then turn red. As he walked to the door his foot caught a patch of ice, sending him to the ground. He wasn't hurt, but by then the door had been opened and someone was helping him to his feet. Rundel was still hurt from what had happened inside, and refused to respond or even show his face. He retreated to his room to allow himself to release his feelings. As he lay there the house was quiet. The teenagers and adults had reduced themselves to whispers, discussing what had happened.

"We can't tell him now, not tonight at least." Oliver protested in a hushed voice.

"Well, he is going to have to find out sooner or later Ollie." Bruce insisted. Since he spoke most languages, it wasn't that hard to figure out what had just occurred. As for the man outside, he was another mystery.

"I agree with Oliver. We should tell him, but not tonight." Clark interjected.

With a little more organising they agreed that they would inform Rudy of their second lives later on. They weren't sure how, because of Olivers little run-in with him when he was a kid, but they would tell him eventually. As the night came to a close, they guests left. Leaving Oliver, Dinah, and for a short time, Roy alone. Roy stayed after hoping to speak to the two about making up for what he had done. He was forgiven, but still refused to join the leagues partners group. He had taken Rudy's advice, and it worked out well. He wanted to see the kid, but he saw how much pain he was in previously. So he left him alone as he slept in the guest bedroom.

**Alright, sorry for the late upload, I've had to deal with a lot of things lately. I made it a little longer than normal, but it won't make up for lost time. I've been on a dry spell recently, having trouble wording things. I still have a crystal clear image of where the story is going, I just can't word it correctly. Please review (like always) thanks for reading this far.**


	11. Noises

**I only own Rudy, nothing else m8. Oh i forgot Super Boy in the last chapter, my bad. I'll find a way to add him later.**

Chapter 11

His old bed was so warm. He had forgotten what it was like to sleep in his old room at Dinahs. All his posters and personal things were taken down, but the paint and bedroom layout still made it feel like home. It was early morning, and he had blocked last nights happenings deep inside his head. As he made his way out of the room, the condo was silent. The party must have made everyone tired last night, even though it wasn't the most energetic. The heat was on, yet he still felt cold. He sat at the table eating a small breakfast, not wanting to take on the day. A few minutes after eating Dinah awoke and said her good mornings. She gave him some comforting trying to not speak about what had happened last night. She noticed he had a large bruise on his cheek, and a small cut down his arm from falling last night. He had taken a nasty spill on the ice, and still being in recovery didn't help too much. He was tough though, he had brushed it off as nothing, and she was sure he could easily ignore it.

Oliver had called and told her he was on his way over. The two of them had planned on going out with Rundel together, maybe to catch a movie or something. A few hours later they had done just that and more. The park was empty and the freshly fallen snow from the night before lay untouched from the filth of human hands. Rudy hated footsteps in the snow, he thought that it looked amazing if stayed untouched, and smooth. They walked along the paths as Dinah and Oliver held hands. Rudy walked behind them, careful not to look like he was with them. Oliver took Rudy home, and the night carried on quietly. The night had crept up on him, and before he knew it, he was tired and heading to bed. He had forgotten Makutos message, but as he reached his room he felt the diamond shaped message in his pocket. He closed the door behind him and pulled out the duffel bag, and unzipping it to reveal the gift.

_How? _ Was his first thought.

It was an exact replica of his sword from within the game. The silver handle, with the pitch black blade. It's rapier-like handle fit his hand perfectly, just like in the game. It's sheath as the same brown leather holster he wore, and the pattern matched. It felt like metal, but it almost looked like it was painted with a matte tone. As he put the weapon away, he took the box from his pocket and played it as he got into bed. He let her voice into his mind, allowing him to fall asleep to her voice. Not sure what Makuto meant by giving him this gift, he rolled it through his mind as he drifted off.

A month passed by and by then Rudy had fully recovered. He acted a little differently, but he was the same person he was three years ago. He had joined a remedial school to make up for lost time in school. Luckily Rundel wasn't stupid and practically flew through it. He was almost caught up to his grade, but still had to take all the tests. He would look at the sword every night to examine it, not testing it out at all. The only way he could get himself to fall asleep was to listen to Yunos voice, no matter how many emotions it caused. Dinah had caught him once listening to it, but she claimed she understood. She didn't. Rundel wanted to dig himself into a pit to be alone, but his conscious knew it was a bad idea. So he forced himself to be with his family. He loved them, he just wasn't sure how to explain it.

So there he sat, in his bed at Oliver's ready to sleep, as he lay there with the diamond box in his hand. It was a cool night, and everything seemed quiet. Rundel turned out his light, but that was when he heard the slamming. He stood up to investigate it. He glanced at the sword, but refused to bring it. It's not like he would use it anyway. The pounding became louder as Rudy walked down the hall. Ollie's room was empty, and it wasn't coming from downstairs. At first he thought it could just be Dinah and Oliver _getting it on_. That idea was quickly shot down when it sounded more like kicking. He stood outside the door to his dads office, not really knowing what to expect, so he listened through the door.

"So, Oliver, I heard your boy is all healed now." As the man said this he smashed his foot into Olivers stomach.

"Arh! If you touch him, I'll have the league up your ass in a second." Oliver said chained to the desk. The man had snuck up on him while he was doing some late work. He didn't have a Green Arrow shift, so he thought he could catch up on business work. He was wrong as the man in a half orange, half black mask stood in front of him. Deathstroke.

"Well, we'll see about that, I'll introduce him to your family business. I'll show him what it's like to lose. haha" His words were harsh and the threats stuck in Olivers mind as he took a blow to the face.

_Nobody threatened my kid. Especially since he had nothing to do with it. _He thought.

He couldn't do anything though, his hands were handcuffed to a pipe in the wall, where deathstroke had punched a hole in. He hoped Rudy could hear what was going on and had ran, but this wasn't the case. The door creaked open a bit, and the boys eyes peaked in. Ollie caught a glance, but so did Slade.

A hand had reached onto his neck as he cracked the door open. He didn't make a sound, so how had they heard him? He was thrown to the floor, and what he saw made him gasp internally. His dad was chained to the wall and blood was dripping from his nose. He tried to get back up but a foot met his stomach and pushed him back down. He closed his eyes as another blow hit him on the back. Flurries of punched were thrown at him and he began to cough up blood.

"He's not much of a fighter, eh Queen?" The man stood between the two, holding a sword to his dads neck.

"He's better than you, you bitc-" Oliver was cut off as a foot connected with the side of his head.

Rudy was done with it. He didn't want to see anyone close to him hurt again. He ignored the pain and started crawling to his feet. He must have been making too much noise, as the man had heard him. With a swift punch on the back of the head he was on his stomach again. His ears were ringing but he had to keep trying, no matter what. Just then a sharp pain entered his abdomen. He let out a small cry as it gradually stung more.

"That'll keep you put, runt."

He couldn't see what had happened but the shouting coming from his father told him it was bad. All he could do was tweak his neck at an angle to watch his father be brutally beaten. He had to act now. His feet curled up, and pushing as hard as he could he forced his way up. He was on his feet, but the clank of metal hitting the floor behind him made him turn around. A bloodied sword lay there, and a hole had been pierced in the boys side. He kneeled down to grab it and as he held it the click of a gun greeted him.

"Drop it kid, it's not worth it." His tone had gone dead serious.

_Now or never. _The boy thought.

He was about 3 feet away, a quick slash could end it. He didn't know the man's skill, but he knew his own. He looked at the wound, and without blinking raised his sword as he dashed. The sword was heavy, but he knew his way around it. The bang of the gun went off, but he was quicker. He brought the sword in for a backwards slice, but as he turned it in his hands the bulelt recoiled off of it. He continues to follow through, only to slice through air. The bullet had lodged itself in his leg, even though he had deflected it.

_How the fuck? What am I doing?! _The boy had lost all thought and let his three years training take over.

He prepared for another assault as he launched himself towards the man, not caring if he was shot. He followed through another strike, but it felt better. A small gleam of light followed his blade as he made his incision. The man was fast though, but the sword had caught his arm, and Rudy watched as the blood dripped from the gash he had given the man. His brain was all over the place as he tried to get a hold on what he had just done. The fight wasn't over, and Rundel had to move quick or he would bleed out before anything else happened. He charged for the final strike, He held the blade against his left hand, preparing a strike he used in the game. He felt the charge and as he grew closer to his target let the attack fly. It was faster than he had expected, but the man had already prepared. Countering it with difficulty he blocked the swing, but fumbled with his now sliced in half gun.

"Get OUT." Rundel was screaming, he had had enough of this.

The room clouded with smoke, as the sound of broken glass came from the window. He cut the chains of cuffs that bound his father, angrily tossing the sword to the side. Rudy was afraid of what his dad was thinking. He backed away, not sure what would happen, but the blood loss caught up to him, and he began to feel light headed. The room started to spin as he felt himself falling into darkness. His eyes closed, and he was genuinely afraid.

_Makuto, what kind of gift is this?_

**Alright… see why i'm calling it swordsman now? Plot is pretty well setup now, so I am trying to start it up. Like I said earlier, I know where i want to go, the wording is just weird. Please Review, or even comment on what you thought, thanks.**


	12. Waiting game

Chapter 12

**Alright, starting to get somewhere in the story! I only own Rundel (not even that much though)**

His head was pounding. Everything was spinning, even with his eyes closed. He didn't know what was going on. All he remembered was that his dad had picked him up, and a blue light flashed. Rundel tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt like ten pound weights. A sharp stabbing pain erupted from his side and reminded him that what had happened was not a dream. Why was that man attacking his father, and why did he attack me? Was Oliver in some illegal business or something, there had to be an options passed through his head. Now wasn't the time to act quickly, he had to rationalize, but it was hard when he could hear voices outside the door.

"So, Oliver, I heard your boy is all healed now."

_How dare he fucking bring him up. _

Oliver wanted to tear Slades throat out, but the metal cuffs were doing their job keeping him in place. He could take the beatings, but he wasn't sure about Rundel. Oliver prayed silently that Rudy had heard the noises and ran. Sadly, he was more curious than afraid. Within seconds his son lay on the ground being beaten for something he knew nothing about. Queen was infuriated as he pulled against the metal, only to cut his wrists more.

"He's not much of a fighter, eh Queen?"

_FUCK YOU! _He screamed in his head, but the words wouldn't come out. He had to seem calm outside.

"He's better than you, you bitc-" The boot hit his head with a clump.

The ringing in his ear became a drumming, as his vision blurred he saw his son stabbed through the abdomen. He breath ceased for a moment as he saw the look of terror in Rundel's eyes. The kind of fear no one should have to endure, but he kept getting up.

_Please, stay down Rudy, it will hurt less. _He didn't want to see him hurt anymore, but the boy stood. His side was spilling red, but his expression was pure hatred. He had managed to get a hold on the sword, and with astonishing speed charged at Slade. Oliver still had blurred vision, but what he saw was unbelievable. His son was facing off against Deathstroke, A highly trained mercenary, and was gaining the advantage. His speed was faster than anyone he had seen, but what was odd was when he slashed at Deathstroke. It almost seemed like a faint light travelled behind the blade as it sliced.

Before he knew it the cuffs had been sliced in one swipe. As he stood he watched Rudy collapse. Rushing over to him he pulled out his phone, and it was too late for the ambulance. He had one other option, but he didn't have a choice. He knew it was Batman's shift at the Watchtower, so he called, desperately waiting for the man to pick up. The boy was in his arms, covered in his own blood, and was slowly draining. He rushed to the balcony as the phone to his ear rang. Oliver himself was bleeding from his nose, but it wasn't as bad as Rundel. He had been working at his office, but was snuck up on. He had a run in with Slade earlier that week and had won, the victory must have done to Deathstrokes head.

"What is it." Batman had no idea what had just happened.

"Zeta beam me up NOW. It's Rudy he's hurt." He started panic, now was not the time to answer questions.

"Queen, Rundel isn't allowed, calm down and I'll send an ambul-"

"IT'S TOO LATE FOR AN AMBULANCE WAYNE, HE'S ABOUT TO DIE. I don't give a fuck how many rules I break!" His anger was bubbling again, his son was becoming more and more pale by the second, and the red was soaking not only the boy but himself as well.

A flash of blue light came down on the two, and when Oliver opened his eyes he was on the Watchtower Zeta platform. His vision had still not recovered, and a silhouette of someone took Rudy out of his hands, as he himself was guided to the medical bay. His own blood loss was catching up to him, and he had run dry of adrenaline. He was losing his consciousness and when he awoke he was on a medical cot, with a needle in his arm. His head swayed to the right and he caught a glimpse of Dinah sitting next to him, but with her head turned the other way tending to the cot next to his. It was Rundel. His face was bloody, but they were treating the wound he received on his stomach. As he tried to sit up, the small stings erupted into a pounding on his face. Dinah turned to him and demanded he rest. She reassured that Rundel would be okay, but the look of uncertainty said otherwise. After a few minutes of stubbornness Oliver finally agreed. He fell asleep full of worry, and his nightmares didn't help.

A sudden breath was what he awoke to as he gasped for air. The hallucinations in his REM state had gotten to him as he watched Rundel die. He turned to the right, but the room was dark, but the outline of his son reassured him that he was okay. Oliver himself felt better, so he decided he should get up. He wasn't badly injured, just a small concussion and A nosebleed. He left the room, fearful of getting A good look of his son. He reached the locker room and suited up. He was geared up and headed down to the control station. The hallways were barren, and silent. As he reached the control room the black caped man had his back turned to him, but he could still hear Oliver.

"What happened." His gruff voice needed answers, he hated being ignorant.

"I was attacked by Deathstroke, but Rundel… interveined." His words trailed off as he tried to describe what happened. Batman had other thoughts as he told his story. Even though he wanted to know what happened, he was more angry that Green Arrow had broken one of the main rules of the Justice League. He had let a civilian onto the Watchtower, even if he was his son.

"Your son has to leave as soon as possible. We do not want him to wake up here." Batman wanted to get to the point quickly and end the conversation, but Arrow had other plans.

"Wait, I think we should tell him. I think nows the time." He wasn't quite sure what he was saying, but he knew Rundel had A right to know.

"Now is not the time." Batman was strict, but Oliver sounded desperate, considering what had happened. He wondered what it would be like if Dick didn't know, and it had happened to him.

They argued for a short time until Batman finally agreed after Black Canary had joined in. All they had to do was play the waiting game. As they waited Oliver explained what had happened to Dinah, and word spread quickly after that. Hours went by as they sat next to their son, thinking about how to break the news. The two became weary and headed off to an empty room to rest. Batman had promised to wake them if Rundel were to wake up, but the doctors had explained the medication they applied and how he would be out for a while. The boy had suffered A vicious stab, concussion, A slight crack in his bottom rib, and a bullet in the foot. It seemed like he would be A magnet to hospitals even though he hated them. The hours melted together, and the two parents slept through it, only to be awoken by Batman.

Rundel's eyes flew open, but when he tried to get up he was met with multiple tubes sticking out of him. Then his sense of pain came into play and it felt like he was hit by a truck. The room was all white, and his first thought was another stupid hospital. As he grew more awake it seemed less like a hospital, there weren't any windows for one thing. He wanted to know how long he had been out for, and where his parents were. He decided to act before actually assessing the situation completely. He carefully pulled the unnecessary tubes out of himself, and proceeded to get up. He used the IV stand as A crutch just to be safe, but when he got to his feet he felt A little better. As he slowly made his way to the door voices could be heard in the distance. The door slid open in a futuristic manner which surprised to boy, but what caught him off guard more was the person in front of him. A man clad in black, with a hoodlike mask around his face. An emblem on his chest resembled A bat, but Rudy was ignorant when it came to superheroes. He had no idea who he was, and didn't want anything to do with him.

"I suggest you sit back down. You're in no condition to be mobile." His voice was gruff and sounded like he was mad at Rundel. This sparked A little bit of anger in the boy himself.

"You're not a doctor, move." Who was this creep in A costume to tell him what to do.

Just then the firm grasp on the mans hand thrust him backwards onto the bed. He was quicker than the boy expected, but then again he didn't know what to expect. The place definitely didn't feel like A hospital anymore. Now Rundel had to make an escape plan, and it definitely had to be better than the last time.

"I said sit. Your parents will be here soon. They will explain everything." His voice had softened, but he still sounded mad.

The man walked out of the room, and walked back down the hallway.

_Now or never. _The boy sprang into action.

The door opened as he approached it, and moving as fast as he could made his way into the hall. That was when his gut dropped. He found out he wasn't in a hospital the hard way, because when he looked out a large window adjacent to the door there was no land beneath the building. He was in space, and it started to freak with his mind. It made escape seem impossible now, and made the place A lot more freaky. Footsteps echoed from down the hall.

_Fuck, now what. _

He dodged back into the room, scanning for something to use. A small scalpel stood out, and held it tightly preparing for the worst. The door opened letting in light, as A man and woman entered with a figure behind them. Rundel had hid in the corner, ready to a fullfront assault. His eyes widened as the light hit one of the persons showing the clad man in green from years ago. Tightening the grip on the scalpel he slashed at him, but A black gloved hand caught his wrist just in time. The hand tweaked his wrist forcing it to drop the tiny blade.

"Rundel" The woman gasped. He was embraced in a hug that could crush rocks. She pulled back revealing her face. It was Dinah, but what was she wearing? He wanted to know what was going on and why she was with the man in green. Before he could ask the man who had once attacked him held him close. He struggled and eventually broke free backing away from the two adults and one shadow in front of him. Green Arrow realized why he was acting this way and proceeded to remove his domino mask. The boys jaw dropped slightly as he saw who it was. His brain was going haywire, and refused to form words.

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you earlier, I'm sorry I didn't tell you it was me that night." Oliver carefully planned out the sentence.

"We thought it would be for the best, but it only made you more vulnerable." Dinah added.

"It's time to come clean, if there is anything you want to know just ask." Oliver said.

Rudy shook his head, but he wasn't sure why.

"I've always liked that saying, Ignorance is bliss. I still feel like it can be applied." Rundel kept quiet, and talked slowly.

"I only have one question though. What is it that you actually do in those costumes?" It was A simple question, but it could have A multitude of responses.

"We, well, we fight crime." Dinah said it as she tried to make the simplest response.

"Mind if I step in for A moment?" The gruff voice of the shadow behind them interrupted. It was that man in black again.

"The location you're in is highly top secret, and as I saw you leave the room earlier you now know where it is. With this in mind I can only allow two options. You either join us, or we can arrange A small harmless memory wipe, and you'll wake up at home, not being able to recall any of this or the previous night." The mans words were harsh, but understandable.

Rundel could understand the males point, but he couldn't come to terms with those options. He couldn't fight, even if he could, it seemed unlike him. He only fought when he was scared, or as A last resort. He recalled last night, and what he had done with the sword. An idea grew of how he had fought off that orange masked freak, and he did not want to forget it. He looked down at his feet to think.

"It's okay kiddo, we can train you." His dad said as he laid A hand on Dinah's shoulder to show their support together.

"I-I don't know. I don't really have A choice." Rudy blurted out.

"Yes, you do." The shadow said.

"Okay then." He looked up at the three people standing before him, nodding in agreement to start his second life.

"The doctors predicted a recovery in A few days. You'll start training in A week." The black masked man said, somewhat okay with the outcome.

**Alright, trying to pick back up, getting in the groove. Please review as much as you can, I need to know if I'm repetitive, and suggestions for wording would help loads. Thanks.**


	13. Fighting and Training

chapter 13

The week came by quickly, and Rundel was feeling healthier. His wound had healed, and within the first day he was back on his feet. He wasn't sure what to think of the massive secret his parents kept from him, but he knew why they kept it from him, and he was okay with it. The days piled up and anxiety started to hit the teenager. Rudy didn't want to fight, he hated combat. Not knowing what he was getting into, and the loneliness he felt did not help. Now it was almost time, and he sat outside his high school. Oliver had said he would be picked up, then start training. The super car pulled up thirty minutes late, but Roy had warned about Ollies bad sense of time. As he entered the car the usually conversation discussing each others day happened. Even though it was mostly one sided on how Olivers business was so hard to maintain, Rudy enjoyed it. He became confused when they pulled into the driveway of his mansion.

"I thought… Why are we back home?" He asked

"You'll see when we get there." He had A small grin on his face, and he became excited when he showed his son the entrance to the Arrow Cave.

"This is where your mother and I will train you for A few days, this will just be for evaluation."

The boy looked around the room, taking it all in. Behind that smug expressionless face hid A small bit of excitement, but A large portion of fear and worry.

"All right, let's just start with stretching. You probably won't be able to stretch in battle, but it helps whenever you can."

A good five minutes passed as they quietly stretched. Oliver watched the boy limber up, and noticed his immense flexibility. His arms had a wide range, perfect for using A bow.

"Okay then, now what do you want to start with, hand to hand, or my personal favorite." He pointed to the archery range next to them.

"Uhm, I guess archery." His only thought was that at least he knew how to use A bow.

"Okay, let's start with A quick rundown of safety, then practise shots. Never pull the string as far as it can go. Also, be careful of hand placement, that's how you get an jammed in your hand. Now to shoot, breath out and pull back to your cheek like this." He pulled it back and fired quickly.

"Never keep the string pulled back for long, the bow will start to shake. Now let's see what you can do." He handed Rundel A bow, and passed an arrow to him.

Ollie watched him carefully, seeing how he handled the bow. His hand placement was perfect, but judging by the trouble he was having notching the arrow he inferenced Rudy was nervous. The boy finally fit the back of the arrow against the string, holding against his thigh as if he had done it before.

"Alright, now pull back carefully to your check, and breath out as you shoot." He had just finished his words as the teenager took his shot.

The bow felt comfortable in his hands. It was durable, steady, and broken in. His hands were getting cold from being in the cave, giving him trouble notching the arrow. It was A simple task, but it was troublesome. Finally achieving his goal he prepared his shot. He strung the bow lightly, eying the target.

_Just like the game. _He thought.

He tuned Ollie out as he thought back to shooting, being with Yuno. He was reminded of her, but snapped out of it with a quick tug on the bow. He let the arrow fly. A straight shot was released from his hand, hitting the bullseye, and just barely skimming his dads arrow. The motions from the game had practically become an involuntary muscle reaction.

"Damn, that was as good as it gets." His dad seemed clearly impress, but he was A skilled bow user. The man could easily outmatch him, and Rundel knew it.

"Let's try it with moving targets now." Oliver said.

They continued to practise, and each shot hyped Oliver more. A perfect shot was placed almost every time, as he upped the ante on the kid each time. It was his fifth shot in, and now there were moving targets with hostages. He would spectate how the kid would prepare, looking at the patterns of movements, looking for angles. Rundel was definitely starting to have anxiety. Each shot he took he would see Yuno in the back of his mind, and all the memories he had. It was bubbling over and he couldn't take it. He was afraid. Afraid of fighting again, fighting in the real world, he didn't feel good enough. In anger he took his shot. Missing the creep by an inch, puncturing the hostages skull.

"Hey, it's okay. It's only your first day. If anything you're probably A better shot than any burglar out there." He meant what he said, and gave a reassuring smile. The young male still seemed a little overwhelmed, and they had been going at it for a while now.

"That's probably enough for today, Dinah will start hand-to-hand combat with you tomorrow."

They left the cave, leaving the cold behind as they entered the warm mansion. Ollie put a hand on the boys shoulder, letting him know it was fine. Rundel went to his room to finish school work, coming down after a short period of time. Dinah had come over to eat dinner, and Oliver went on and on about how Rudy was A natural at archery. Of course this bothered Rundel, but he was also a natural at hiding his emotions. As they ate dinner the normal routine ensued, as Rundel explained his boring day at school once again. The topic made A quick swerve as Oliver brought the subject back to training. Dinah wanted to be in the conversation as well, but Rudy was the exact opposite. He still felt like he was being forced into joining. Telling himself constantly that it would get better if he just went along with it.

"So I'll pick you up after school, then we can start on hand-to-hand since Oliver says you're A master at archery already." Dinah said.

"Hey I didn't say master, I said natural." Ollie interrupted.

Rundel agreed, ready to reside in his room for the rest of the night. He was tired, and not just from training. He was A natural introvert, and school alone would drain him. His cure was being alone, and enjoying peace and quiet. As he reached his room the cold breeze hit his face. The window was open from the previous night. Snow was still on the ground, and he looked out the window to see the view he fondly remembered. The lights never changed, and the distant bustling city felt warm. It's faint glow emanating thermal emotions inside of him. It calmed his nerves as he booted up his video game. Even after Sword Strike he was sucked into video games. It was easy to relax and kill time. As night grew more, he headed off to sleep, not sure what to expect tomorrow.

The next day was eternal, and definitely not enjoyable. That was until he arrived at school. He had always been A loner, but being older than most in his grade made him an outcast. After flying through remedial school, he played catch-up, and had caught up to his grade. All the other students ignored him, and he was okay with it, but they would occasionally try to cause trouble. Unfortunately it was that day. He had been sitting at lunch, minding his own business. His table was empty like always, but when one of the football team members wanted to trash him he had to bottle his emotions. Rudy use to sit with Roy, alone together, but since Roy's "falling out" with Ollie he became distant. He had dropped out, leaving Rundel alone. Roy would always defend the two of them, because Rudy didn't feel the need for violence like he did. He was in a trance thinking about back then, but was snapped out as someones lunch was tossed at him.

"Why don't you eat some food you twig. You look hungry." The jock said in A sarcastic tone.

Rundel continued to ignore what had happened, and allowed the teachers to quickly swoop in. To bad they were not very quick. The football player had begun to push him, and after not getting the reaction he wanted started to have a fit.

"Are you deaf, stick. You're so tiny, honestly I feel like I could break your arm if I touched you." He taunted as he reached for Rundel's arm. His fists started to ball up as he held himself back. Attention started turning towards the two as the jock tried to escalate things. Claiming Rundel had hit him, he started to forcefully push him. An old teacher took notice to what was going on, but it was too late. The jock had already swung, only to hit air. Rundel had backed away, after seeing the wind up.

"wow, look at this faggot. He thinks he can fight me." His taunts were starting to become more aggravated, as he swung again.

His fists only hit air, as he had no plan. Rudy had no idea either, A mixture of panic and adrenaline hit him.

_How the fuck did I dodge it?_

He backed up A certain distance each time, and by the fourth swing he was up against A wall. It was just where he wanted to be.

"This little shit is too afraid to fight, look at him." He had started to get his friends to laugh, but by the tone of his voice he was infuriated that he hadn't hit him yet.

He went for another swing, putting as much force into it as much as he could. Rundel couldn't back out of the punch now, and he knew it. But the smug expression Rudy kept on his face dodged to the side, allowing the jocks fist to brace full impact against the wall. The teacher broke his way through the crowd only to see a heap of a body writhing in pain on the floor as Rudy stood above him. The crack of multiple bones breaking against the wall echoed throughout the cafeteria. Of course he was carted away crying his way to the hospital, but Rundel was sent to the office to discuss what happened. Luckily the schools security camera had caught it, but his parents were still informed. He knew he was in deep shit, and was in no mood to talk about it. His anger was still there, and there was no way to vent it. He couldn't vent it, he refused to fight. As he sat there running over what might happen in his head Dinah was on her way after receiving A call. She had to take off from work, and was not happy about it, but her motherly instincts kicked in as well and worried if Rundel had gotten himself hurt.

"Ah, Miss Lance, please, sit." The principal said. He was ogling her and it was easy to see.

As she entered she glanced at Rudy who had his head turned. She couldn't tell if he was hurt so she took her seat next to him hoping to get A better glance. She let A quiet sigh of relief out as he seemed untouched. Except there was still the matter of the fight. The questions of her own needed to be answered.

"We called you down here to discuss the physical conflict that arose with your son. Now, we have heard his side of the story, and have evidence that we have shows he did not fight, but we must make an example that fighting will not be tolerated. I've decided that detention after school for the next two to three weeks should be enough." He was obviously trying to set something up, but he wasn't about to get his way.

"Excuse me? You want to punish my son for not fighting? You have evidence as well. Punishing my son for being the victim of an obvious bully is not how you handle things." Dinah was pissed. She had been dragged all this way to hear her son be punished for doing the right thing.

"Miss Lance, you did not allow me to finish. Perhaps we can discuss these terms another time, alone." His transition was horrible, and all he received was A slap.

Dinah didn't care if Rudy was kicked out of that school, and he didn't care either. She dragged him out and drove him home in a bad mood. In her mind she knew she had to talk to Rundel about what had happened, then Ollie. They arrived as Olivers house. Rundel quietly slipped out of the grey car, avoiding contact with her as he went inside. She followed behind him, and made her way up to Oliver in his home office on the second floor.

"Dinah, uh, what are you doing here?" He said surprised as he sifted through a folder containing financial records. He was caught off guard, and was unsure why she had shown up.

"Well, I was just called down by Rudy's school. And when I arrived there I was informed he got himself into A fight."

A raised eyebrow was the only response she received from the blonde billionaire.

"Of course, they wanted to punish him, except the issue was he didn't fight back, he didn't even lay A finger on the kid. The principal even said the security cameras caught it on tape." The anger was showing in her voice.

"So what was his punishment?" Oliver inquired.

"It was either I go to dinner with his creepy principal, or he had to stay after school three hours A day for three weeks."

"That's pretty harsh for doing the right thing." Oliver responded in A laid back tone.

The two exchanged words for a few more minutes. Dinah decided it was too late to go back to work now, and called off for the night. She thought it would give more time to begin training with Rudy.

"You want to help me introduce Rundel to fighting now?" Dinah asked Ollie.

"hmmm, sure. I guess. The paper work here will be the death of me." He retorted.

"Why don't we go train on the Watchtower, the Arrow Cave doesn't have the most padded floors." Oliver added.

"Are you sure, Batman might blow A fuse." Dinah questioned.

"Nah it'll be fine." Oliver could handle and even joke around with an angry Bats.

They suited up, but then realized Rundel didn't really have an alias. The blew it off and called him down. The shock on his face was surprising. He had almost forgotten about their alter egos. Mainly because they would still sneak off without telling him. The made their way to one of the zeta beams in Star City. It was an old storage warehouse, with a secret entrance. Rudy was still new to zeta transport and upon entering the Watchtower had his knees buckle. The three were greeted with an angry Batman, and confused Red Tornado.

"Why did you bring him here." Batman questioned as he eyed the teenager.

"Relax Bats, we needed a place to train, I don't know if you noticed but falling on concrete in the Arrow Cave isn't the best way to start." He said it casually like he bickered with the man in black all the time. A staring contest ensued but the man finally gave in.

Dinah lead Rundel down the hallway, and he quietly followed. He stared out the small little portholes that gave him A glance of space. His head swirled just wondering how he was there. The three of them reached the end of the hall and entered A large room with slightly padded floors. Work out machines lined the back end of the room, and ledges climbed the walls with rafters hanging from the roof. What set it apart from the other gyms was the large array of weapons along another wall, targets on the opposite, and what looked like robot androids labelled as sparring automatons.

"Alright, well, I guess we'll start with stretches." Dinah said as she turned to her son.

They began for what seemed like an hour of stretching. Dinah showing different muscles that needed to relax and tense. It felt more like an annoying yoga class than anything else to Rudy. Of course Ollie dodged out, heading down to the cafeteria thinking he could get away with it, but Dinah had other plans when he got back. She would probably use him as A test dummy, but that wasn't the case.

"okay, now we should probably assess you right now. Seeing how what happened in school, it seems like you already know what a fight looks like. Ollie will practise fight you, so I can see how you handle it."

"W-what?!" Oliver coughed out.

"You won't go hard, sheesh, just do your best to get him." She blew him off.

The two readied to spar, but Rudy really didn't have a stance. He just stood there looking at his dad. He wasn't sure what to expect being put face to face directly with someone who was probably insanely skilled like his dad. He had to know A lot if he fought crime the way he explained it.

"Rudy, are you ready? Normally you want to assume either an offensive or defencive stance." Dinah was trying to help.

The boy gave A slight nod to say he was fine, and went back to trying to plant what Ollie was going to do. Truth was that he had no idea what he was doing. It was the same setup from school. He didn't know how to fight, and he didn't really want to fight. There was A slight twitch in his dads arm as A fist came towards him. Rudy blinked and opened them to see himself next to the fist. He had dodged to the right, but didn't know how he had. It felt like an instinct to him. Just then another swing came at him, and once again he sidestepped it. His dad threw many different punches each coming towards Rundel at different angles. The boy felt the rush he once lived for in another reality, as the combat ensued. Although he refused to fight back, just dodging gave him A sense of energy. It was only then he didn't factor in that they both had feet. A kick was thrown at him directed towards his thigh. Rundel let out A panic breath as he tried to move his body to counter, only to have the foot find his side as his hands were too late to get there in time.

He opened his eyes to find himself on the floor. Dinah and Ollie kneeling beside him. The kick had landed on his previous wound, and although it had not opened it, it still brought back A little pain.

"Sorry about that kiddo, you were doing pretty well so I thought you would be able to handle it." Ollie said apologetically.

"Are you alright Rudy? I told Oliver to go easy, sorry." Dinah felt like it was her fault all of the sudden.

"Yea, i'm fine. It was a good hit, I was just being stupid." Rudy had gotten up and shook himself off.

Dinah immediately finished her assessment seeing how Rudy had A massive amount of potential. However he did seem hesitant, and didn't even try to counter Oliver. She ran through her mind A mental checklist of things to start with. First off she had to teach him A stance. As they trained he seemed reluctant to use one, but he seemed fine the way he did it. They soon went over basic punches and kicks. Ollie and Dinah knew he wasn't the strongest so he would have to train more. Rundel was A quick learner, but was still hesitant to hit. Hours passed as they trained, trying multiple different exercises. It would take A lot more work, but it was a good start. As they left the room tired out, and ready to leave Rundel eyed the weapon rack, especially the one with different types of swords.

"That's for another time." Oliver whispered to him giving him A small wink. He saw Rudy glance over to it more than once in training.

They left the Watchtower and retreated home only to find out Rudy had received A week of suspension for what Dinah had done. This was of course on top of another week of detention for not fighting.

**Okay, so part of this actually happened last week or so. (not the training, duh) Didn't even fight the kid and I still received A detention...**

**DAMN, this took a while to type. It's a long chapter too. Brain has been kind of dead, but yea finally starting to make it out of writers blocks city. Review and comment and I'll fix anything you point out, improve on anything you want, and answer any questions if your confused. (without spoiling of course)**


	14. First Night Out

Chapter 14

It had been a full month since he started his training. They would practice for more than an hour a day, and the improvements had started to show. Rundel's speed had increased drastically, and even though he had not had any physical change in his appearance his body was much more adjusted. He was sparring with Dinah since Oliver had some extra business at work. His parents seemed more relaxed ever since he found out, but they became more protective. Ever since that night Oliver had promised himself he would never let anything hurt either of his sons. Roy had been pushing everyone away, but he acted differently when Rudy tried. Rundel was trying so hard to keep the family together, and the result was tearing himself apart. His mind was always thinking about things that didn't matter. All he wanted to do was help Roy, and he did. Roy had quit drugs ever since Rudy came back from Sword Strike, even though he was distant. From Ollies perspective it seemed like those two were mentally linked. Dinah on the other hand knew how much they were connected. She would still poke at Rudy with questions, but they were more subtle. His seclusion, and introverted personality made it hard for him to speak to people, even if they were family. The two parents wanted to know how to introduce him to the league, but it seemed like a bad time every time they visited the Watchtower. It was rare that they visited now, because Rudy had learned how to land properly if he were knocked down. So Dinah started with advanced techniques that day, and after they did one final practise spar.

They stood opposite of each other in the Arrow Cave. Oliver would be mad that they went in without his permission, but Dinah didn't care. Her condo was too small anyway. Rudy still didn't have A set stance, but he didn't need one. As soon as she threw A punch he was behind her. His speed was unmatched, well unmatched to everyone but the Flash, and Kid Flash. His hesitance to fight stuck with him, even when he fought defensively. He dodged A kick aimed at where his arm was, but he had already ducked. Her foot was caught in his hand, and she was bout to lose her balance when she countered. Her foot became loose as she twisted it in A manner that forced Rudy to release. It didn't matter because he had lunged with A small jab at her side. Even though it hit, it didn't do much, but it bought him some time to go in for one more strike. His fist was stopped as Dinah blocked it with her own hand. The angle she bent it at sent him back as she readied her fist as she swung. His agile movement wasn't enough as her fist caught his side, sending him to the floor.

"That was really good, your improvements are easily recognisable." She said as she held out her hand to help him up.

"I guess." He said nonchalantly. He hated being praised, all he wanted to do was concentrate.

"You want to go get something to eat?" Her stomach was fighting her body, and she bet his was too.

It was Saturday, and the two of them had been training for three hours. Rundel had been training longer because Ollie woke him up early to practise with the bow. He really did have A _gift _for archery. He seemed well rounded, but whenever they would go to the Watchtower with him, he would eye that one weapon rack. They left the cave tired and panting. The hunger was hitting them, and each and Dinah had put Rudy on an intense diet in hopes of having him gain muscle mass. So far it wasn't really doing anything, and it didn't seem like it would, so she decided pizza would be a go to option. Besides he had been doing well with training.

"How about pizza?" She asked after thinking about it.

"uh, okay I guess, but I thought you wanted me to eat healthy." He responded.

"Eh, you're fine. It won't hurt too much to have something delicious." She said with A slight jovial tone.

It was almost five O'clock and seemed too early for pizza, so they decided to wait for Ollie. Then they just decided to ask him to pick one up, instead of going out for one. He arrived home his work attire, and ate with them at the table. Not much talking was required, as they were all devouring the food. They had finished, and their hunger was fulfilled. The food digested in less than an hour, and Oliver and Dinah had gone back down to the cave to suit up. They didn't really tell Rundel when they went out, but this time was different. Instead of heading out through the exit, they decided to go back into the house, and up to Rundel's room. They entered the room to find him laying on his bead with A book in hand.

"Hey, the two of have been thinking…" Oliver started.

"We think you're ready to come on patrol with us." Dinah finished.

The boy gave the two A confused look. He thought he wasn't ready, and really didn't trust himself to go with them.

"It's just A short patrol, nothing to big." Ollie reassured.

"You don't need A costume, just a mask, and we have plenty." Dinah said as she casually tossed him A domino mask.

"So, are you up for it?" She asked.

"S-sure, but I don't want to make it a hassle. I mean, I'll probably mess up. After all I only _just _started." Rundel replied.

He stood up and followed the two costumed parents back to the cave. He was handed one of the training quivers and a bow by Ollie. Although it didn't have any of the trick arrows he had, it was still loaded with average arrows. Rundel felt like something was missing but just blew it off as he slung the bow over his shoulder. His parents told him to stay back and watch for the time being as he didn't know procedures, and if anything were to happen he would run. As they lectured him Ollie placed a small earpiece in his palm to communicate if they were separated. He did a few practise shots and got used to the feel, then proceeded to head out with the two superheroes.

Oliver was tapped into the police reports, and said there was A robbery in progress. They used the rooftops of the shining city to move quickly. As they reached the bank the inside held tension as civilians could be seen from the windows on the floor. He was told to stay on the roof and use the earpiece to tell Dinah and Oliver if anyone left the building. So he sat at the ledge, ready to see the action unfold. They barged through the front doors, Oliver with an arrow ready, and Dinah already knocking out A goon. Although Rudy couldn't see much from the angle he was at, he knew fighting was going on below. The pedestrians ran out of the build as Rudy watched carefully and called in the number of people fleeing. The scene lasted about six minutes. The two adults met back up with their kid on the rooftop and carried on with the patrol. As they explained what to do when you enter a fight, like they hadn't described already in training.

As they went along with the patrol, another report was called in. This time it was a much more premeditated armed robbery. The same setup as last time ensued, except the two heroes entered the roof. They entered through the vents for A surprise assault on the marauders. They counted seven burglars with fire arms. Only to count five bodies knocked out unconscious after the brawl.

"Yeah, uh, I see two people with Balaclavas running out down Raleigh Street." Rudy called in.

"Do you want me to move in, I think I can make a shot." He added.

"If you think you can make a shot do it, but stay in the shadows, and don't attract attention to yourself." Dinah said back through her earpiece.

They were leaving the way they entered the building as Rundel ran to the next building with an arrow notched. He saw the two turn into the alleyway beneath him, and it gave him A clear shot. He aimed down, focusing on all the training he had been doing. He let out a breath as his bow steadied, releasing the arrow at one of the crooks. It struck the target lodging the steel tipped arrow into his foot. It was A powerful shot as it had stuck all the way through, incapacitating but not mortally wounding him. The other one looked back at his companion, only to start firing aimlessly at the top of the building above him. By then Rudy had backed away, dropping down from the building on the alleyway adjacent to the one he was looking at. His plan was to meet the man around the corner with A surprise attack, but as he prepared for the fight, he heard more gunshots. He accelerated himself around the corner, meeting his parents in A firefight. He had come from behind, and hadn't been seen by the two enemies. Pulling his bow back without thinking, he landed another arrow into the other man's thigh. Luckily, his parents were harmed, but the two goons were down and not out. They had dropped their guns, and had moved to hand-to-hand. One lunged at Dinah, but her speed was faster, and ended up breaking his face with her fist. The other went for Oliver, who had A knockout arrow pulled out of the quiver. He had no need to notch it, so he ended up activating it right under the criminals face as he moved out of his attack. The three of them stood there, allowing the adrenaline to finish.

"Good shooting kid. That's pretty damn good for A first time." Oliver said. He had walked over to Rundel to pat his back.

"Your training really paid off." Dinah added.

"Uhm, thanks. I-I guess I have pretty good trainers." Rundel said, trying not to stare at the to unconscious people laying next to them.

"Oh, we should leave now." Oliver said, as sirens could be heard in the distance. He ziptied the mens hands behind their backs, and retrieved the arrows from their bodies, careful not to cause internal damage.

The three of them returned home to the house without lights on. Rundel felt uncertain about shooting other people, but it was what his parent expected him to do. In the other world, he had no fear of firing, as they were computerized artificial intelligence, unlike this world. Where with one misplaced shot you could take someones life. Then again, the glint in the arrow that gave A hint of his past life everytime he fired an arrow gave him an odd feeling that relaxed his tense body. He returned to his room, ready to sleep as he took A glance at the comforting lights. Letting the warm glow take him away to his thoughts.

"You've got to admit, that kid has some skill." Oliver said to Dinah as they stripped their costumes.

"Yea, but did you see how he looked at the bodies?" Dinah replied back.

"He did give them an uncomfortable look, but it's his first time. I'm sure he'll get used to it. He's a Queen, he can adapt to anything." Oliver said jestfully.

Dinah gave him A death stare as she readied herself to head back up.

"Hey, you can stay the night if you want." Oliver said.

"Sorry baby, Bats called in earlier and wants me in early tommorrow." She said as she walked out. She wasn't mad, it was just A jokingly mean glare.

The next day came around soon enough, and Rundel awoke very sore. He had forgotten to stretch, and tried to make up for it by stretching as he made his way downstairs. A not greeted him saying that Ollie and Dinah had gone out. Only they didn't tell them that they had both been called to the Watchtower by Batman. They were already on their way, and before the tow adults knew it, they were on the Watchtower bay.

"You're here, finally. I have A mission for you two." Batman said in a gruff voice as he greeted them.

"What is it this time, it better not be another cargo transport like last time." Oliver said grumpily. He received A strong nudge from Dinah as he finished his remark.

"No. There had been A lot of underground activity in Star City. Someone has been planning something, and I want you two to keep an eye out. Continue training, but cautiously. I'll feed you more info when I find out more myself. If anything comes up tell me immediately." His words were serious, but then again he was always serious.

"Oh, and I need you to watch over the Covert Ops team at Mount Justice for A bit." He added.

It was kind implied that Dinah had to go, as she trained all of them. She wondered if Rundel would join that team, but it would require much more training. His skill was good, and he could match some of the teams skills, but he lacked the motivation. Oliver joined as well to assist in sparring. The two thought about what Batman had said about underground activity on the way, and hoped it wouldn't affect anything with Rundel.

**Okay, not as long as I hoped it would be, but I got the ball rolling. Please review and hand outs on how to improve will make these improve, and allow my writing skittles to get better. Thanks.**


	15. Patrol

Chapter 15

The team seemed pretty calm for coming back after A mission. There hadn't been any large scale attacks, so they've dealt with mostly undercover work. Nothing big had happened since the mind control of the league. So they stayed quiet during their training, playing off jokes on each other for fun. They had grown up so much since then, and they had shown it. Robin was fourteen yet he acted like he was forty. Connor hadn't aged due to his powers, Artemis was becoming a woman, M'gann had grown her hair out, and Wally was even more hyperactive. The training went off without issues, as Dinah taught them advanced techniques of how to counter the enemy's counterattack. All this happened as Ollie stood back and watched, occasionally being pulled in as A test dummy. He had been watching Artemis closely, seeing how she had adjusted since joining the team A year ago. What surprised him was when she approached him.

"Hey, how's Rundel?" She asked.

"Uh, he's better." He didn't know what to say. The team didn't know that he had started training. Well, no one except for a few of the League members. They thought it was best to let them know after he had finished training.

"Has he opened up anymore? He was pretty quiet back at Christmas." She kept poking him with simple questions. So he responded with simple answers.

"He'll always be A quiet kid. He doesn't really talk to anyone."

"Oh okay. Well I'm sorry about the run in with Deathstroke, you know and all that." She said casually.

"Wh-oh yea, it's fine. He's fine, me too." He was A little shocked and had forgotten she knew about it.

"Well, I should probably go kick Wally's butt A little more before I finish sparring." She said as she walked back to the mats.

He watched for A little longer, and as they wrapped up, He headed back to Star City with Dinah. The two parted ways as Dinah went back to her Condo. Ollie had reached the front door only to meet Roy sitting on the couch. He was sitting upright next to Rundel who was in a deep sleep. His hand on the teens blonde blonde hair. The slight nod Ollie gave him meant he wanted to talk in the kitchen. The two hadn't spoken in A while, and even though they had made amends Roy still felt like he shouldn't be there.

"Roy, is something wrong?" Ollie asked with genuine care.

"Um, no not really. I just needed to see Rudy again." He replied.

"You know you can come back if you want. I always have an extra room ready."

"No, it's fine. I just wanted to see him again, maybe talk. It's just been quiet, even if I am A clone, I still remember the memories the original had. I know he doesn't know, and I don't know if I want to tell him." Roy had become silent, sitting in his own metaphorical pool of sadness.

"It's okay, you don't have to say anything. Just remember if you ever need anything, you can ask. There's some leftover pizza in the fridge, help yourself. I'm gonna head up now." Ollie said with a yawn to follow it.

Roy left that night and didn't return for A while. He would sneak in from time to time, hoping that he would maybe be awake, but he never was. He would never tell anyone where he was, but they knew what he was doing. He had dedicated himself to finding the real Roy not only for himself or the original, but for Rudy too. He knew if his friend found out he would look too, and without training he could get in trouble.

The next day brought more training for Rundel. His body was starting to hate him from the constant beating of his body hitting the ground. His hesitance to fight caused his reactions to slow, and Dinah had stopped going easy. He never knew how strong his parents were until they were tossing him around the room like a ragdoll.

"Rundel, you're better than this, something has to be going on. What's keeping you distracted?" Dinah said as she pulled him up off the floor.

"I don't really know. I have no purpose to fight." he said.

"If you're in a fight, you'll be fighting for your life. The people out there won't hold back."

"I know that, it's just I don't like hitting people. I've had bad experiences with it." He looked at his feet, and it was clear she should stay off the topic. Something had to have happened in his childhood that had lasting effects on him. But this was Dinah, she was overprotective.

"You can tell me if it will help." her voice calm as she tried to approach the subject.

"No thanks. Sorry, I, it's just a sore subject…" He trailed off. He repressed his emotions and the two continued with training.

Dinah threw A flurry of kicks aimed towards him. His speed was faster as he moved behind her and took out her legs. She was about to hit the ground, but his hand caught her arm. Even if he was being nice, she used it as a counter. He ended up being thrown backwards, but with his reflexes and experience ended up on his feet. His brain sort of clicked as he made A final dash straight forward.

_She's probably expecting a side step_. He thought

He didn't ball a fist as he neared, but instead reached for her shoulder in attempts to throw her. His prediction was right, and with the time it bought him landed his hands on her shoulder and arm, throwing her back.

"That's good. You're making lots of improvements." She said as she stood up.

"Are you up for another patrol tonight?" She asked quickly after.

"I'm not sure, maybe." He answered with a shrug.

"Come on it'll be fine, nothing big." She edged him on. Her and Ollie had something special to show him.

"I-I mean, um. Sure?"

It was enough for Dinah. They headed back out of the cave, and went on with the rest of their day. Oliver arrived home shortly to see his son watching TV, explaining to him that Dinah had gone back to her house. Only Rundel didn't know she had left a not for Ollie. The two males ate a fast dinner, and sat around. Ollie wanted to talk to him, but he didn't know what to start on. He barely knew anything about him, but wanted to know more. He seemed so distant all the time, but it was kind of expected from an introvert. Time passed and the Oliver knew it was time to suit up. Dinah texted meeting she would meet in the cave.

"Hey, we should go prepare for tonight's patrol." He said.

"Ok." Replied Rundel

"Dinah and I have something for you when we go down."

The boy gave a confused look and followed him down to the cave. Dinah was already there, somehow, and Oliver joined her in front of Rundel. The two looked menacing with the ambience of the cave and the lighting hitting their faces.

"Well, it's been a few weeks, and your training has been gradually improving. We think it's time you join us." Oliver said in a serious voice.

"I thought I already had _joined_ you." Rundel responded

"We mean on patrols." Dinah replied.

Dinah pulled a suit from behind her back. It looked much like Ollies, but instead of green it was black. A dark blue stripe bordered the edges and frame of the jacket. The hood was simple and thin, but the costume itself was cloth with kevlar sewn into it to make it bulletproof.

"We thought you would decide your alias. I'd suggest something with arrow in it." Oliver said giving him a wink. Only to get a jab in the side by Dinah.

"Oh, uh, that's going to be hard." He responded quietly.

"It's ok, you don't have to decide right now." Dinah said.

"But you should put it on, we're leaving soon." She added.

The three of them left the cave to head to Star City. Rundel contemplated where to even begin with choosing another name. He couldn't use anything he had before, like his online alias. It would be too easy to trace back to him. There was a reported break in at a local business and the same setup was used like last time. Rundel would stay watch and stay out of sight as the two adults dealt with the burglar. They wrapped it up quickly, and carried on. They stayed quiet as Rudy followed behind. The night was quiet on the rooftops as the wind blew. The city life under them stayed to a minimum as they ran the rooftops. It was only then that another report was made. A break in at one of the banks was being made again. It was a large scale pre-meditated heist.

"How about you go in with me kid?" Green Arrow said. He had a sort of alter ego when he put the mask on. He would become a slightly altered version of himself.

"Alright, but I might mess up." He responded behind them.

They neared the building and planned out their entrance. There was a back entrance that they would use to attack from behind the counters. As they entered the shouting of voices could be heard down the hall. A gunshot rang out and put the two costumed males into action. They notched arrows and at first sight took out two goons. There were a reported eight robbers, and Dinah was up above making sure they would stay coraled. Green Arrow had become pinned behind A small counter, and Rundel had to act quickly. He took an arrow from his quiver, carefully placing it on the string. Three people were there, and he would have to use close quarters combat. He came out from hiding letting an arrow fly. It lodged itself into a man's stomach, and before he fell a foot connected with his face. Rundel was taking on two at A time while Ollie had become preoccupied with another goon that had entered the room. He took his opponent down easily, and was turned to face his son smashing A criminals face. Rudy was using the bow to his advantage, holding it at one of the ends. His technique was unprecedented. He used the weapon to knock up the enemies hands disarming them and knocking them out cold at the same time. The speed at which he did it was remarkable, but it was no time to gawk. The remaining two thieves had either escaped or were hiding. He called in to Black Canary to find out if any had left the building. The response he received told him that they were still inside. The two started to carefully look around, leaving the vaults as the last place to check. They hadn't found anything in the rest of the building, so they prepared for the final section. The door was the stereotypical vault door with the massive hexagonal locks. Oliver entered the room first, carefully checking his corners. Rudy stayed at the entrance to catch anyone who tried to escape. He stood there, wondering what was going on in there, then gunshots rang out. He ran inside to find his dad on the ground, but no bullet wounds. Anger surged through him as he raised his bow. The arrow lodged itself in one of the mens neck, as the other one watched. The final target started the panic, not even bothering to aim as he fired aimlessly. Rundel pulled another arrow, but the man had already begun to charge. The teenager dropped the arrow as he prepared for close quarters. The mans fist hit air as he swung, and before he knew it he was on the floor. Rudy had swung as hard as he can, but his strongest attack only stunned him. Rundel didn't have time to process as he took a hit to the gut. He hit the ground with a thud, and the click of a gun kept him there.

"A little family outing, huh?" He said arrogantly as he knew he had the upper hand.

Rundel stayed silent, the man didn't deserve his words. Oliver wasn't out, he was just down. The man groggily went undercover to pursue the burglar now with a hostage. The fleeting footsteps left the vault by sneaking around him. His attention was focused on killing the man that had his son, but as he passed the body with an arrow jutting out of its neck it made him pause. His son was no longer an innocent kid, and it felt like his fault for dragging him into this world. His brain reassured himself he could make it better but first he had to save Rundel.

"Dinah, the last jerk has Rundel as a hostage." He called in through the radio.

"What?! I'm coming down to hel-"

"No. I'll do it, it's fine." He cut off.

Oliver chased the voices that were heading towards the second floor.

"You're little friends aren't coming to help you, and if they do we're going to have some fun with you." the criminal said. Rudy still kept true to his silent vow, but the blood was starting to boil under his skin.

"Hear that on the steps? Your daddy is going to die soon. You don't deserve anyone anyway." He was starting to get cocky.

Rundel's body was practically vibrating with rage as the man held him in a choke. The doors to the stairs down the hall burst open, and the man holding him unloaded his clip. He couldn't see who was being shot, but the sound of laughter from the man put him into a rage. He had had enough. He reached for the man's neck and ripped at it with all his strength. Although it didn't do anything fatal, it allowed him to slip out of the grip that was on his neck. He grabbed the gun out of his hands, and proceeded to slip the clip out and throw it out of reach. The boy didn't have a bow, but his quiver still had arrows. His swift movement allowed him to evade any attack made on him, and with a quick dash his hand reached for an arrow. His lunge was lightning speed, and had punctured the man's shoulder. He fell with a thud, and as Rundel looked at where the bullets were fire he saw his father staring at him with judgemental eyes. Guilt came over the boy as he backed away. He realized what he had done, and it didn't feel good to him. It was a fight for survival, but it didn't fit right with his mind. Green Arrow walked quietly over to him to comfort what he had just been through. The two of them walked out of the building without saying a word. They returned to the cave silently. Rundel avoided contact with the two of them as he took a show and locked himself away in his room. His brain was fried, with his feelings going haywire. He wasn't sure what to think of himself, his choices, or his life. He gave a glance outside to see the city he was plagued by.

How could something so inviting be so corrupt and vile. It's beauty masked the corruption that lurked in it's darkest alleys, infecting everything good. Maybe that's what the Justice League did. Maybe they were the ones that kept it at bay. The ones who protected the others from it, and cleansed the world. If so, why would they want him to help. He could barely handle himself, let alone others.

He had to grow up and face the challenges life gave him, but he had to use everything from his past to help him.

**Alright, trust me, I REALLY WANT TO TYPE. I have had a busy schedule and as soon as I sit down the words refuse to make grammatical sense. I have insanely well prepared notes on where the story is going, I'm just wanting to throw literary elements in as practice. Like always please review and let me know how to improve, what you think of it, or if there is anything wrong or you don't understand it. I'll pm back**


	16. Traps and Trouble

Chapter 16

"Hey, everything all right?" The question was followed with a soft knock on the door. Oliver was beginning to come genuinely worried about what had happened last night. Rudy had been sleeping in, and it was three PM now. Normally it would be fine, but the look he had on his face when he went to bed was unlike his usual expressionless face.

There was no reply from behind the door, and it left him with only one option. He picked the lock to the door and entered to find the boy slumped over in the corner of his bed. He was asleep but his body was restless. It was lashing back and forth and Ollie knew exactly what it was. He calmly made his way to boy and shook him softly. He was having a vivid nightmare that was tormenting him. He shook with more force and the boy suddenly inhaled with panic showing in his eyes. The desperation showed as he tried for air from being abruptly awoken.

"It's alright, you're awake now." He whispered as he embraced the kid who was now in a cold sweat.

_Fuck. fuck. fuck. Did I say anything in my sleep? _The boy thought as he was cradled.

Rundel took in the time to appreciate he had loving parents. He had never seen this much affection, due to his past life he wasn't used to it. His fathers warm body comforted his as he put his head against his chest taking in the scent and listening to his heartbeat. It was something he had never experienced, knowing someone actually cared how he was.

"We're going to you off of patrol for a while, the first few times can be shaky. It'll be fine." His words were soft and the boy found comfort in hearing them. He gave a slight nod in acceptance.

"I came up to tell you I'm heading to the Watchtower with Dinah in a bit, you're welcome to practise in the cave if you want too, just be careful." With these words he set the kid back down and headed out. He took one final glance at the blonde haired teenager as he left the room.

He suited up and head through the Zeta Beam.

"You're late, as always." Superman said in an annoyed tone.

Black Canary was standing there with Red Arrow and Batman. It seemed as if they were just about to start the topic, and Green Arrow had arrived at the last second. They shot him an annoyed look, but went to resume the conversation as he joined.

"You three will have to be more careful in Star City. The reports that I've been following are getting much worse, and someone is planning something big, and being careful in covering their tracks." Batman's voice bounced off the walls in a deep tone.

"We believe an A-class villain is working with a lower classed villain or possibly more to cause mass destruction. We advise that your ward stay inside, and avoid patrol for now." He glanced at Dinah and Oliver.

"We have taken a few more precautions by placing Wonder Woman and Green Lantern in Star City for the time being." Superman added.

"I'm sure it's nothing Black Canary and I couldn't handle." Green Arrow said with a snort.

"Please, I would have to come in and save your butt." Red Arrow retorted.

The two males shot glances at each other that were quickly shot down by Black Canary.

"Anyway, we need you three to run a mission. There were reports of an attempted theft on the museum in Park City. Black Canary will help you get to it as she is familiar with the city." Superman added.

The three of them made their way to the zeta platform as they prepared for the mission. None of them knew how long it would take so Dinah decided to stop by Ollies house and leave a message for Rundel telling him to stay inside, and to not do anything risky. Little did she know that her message she left on the counter would be tampered with. She met up with the two males and continues to Park City.

Rundel was trying to open his eyes, but his resting body refused too. Ollie had come in and woke him up only to find that he was gone when he fully awoke. A small yawn escaped his throat as he made his way downstairs, ready to eat breakfast. It was late in the morning, but it was saturday so he was allowed. As he reached the kitchen a handwritten scribble was left on the counter.

_Your father, Roy, and I are out for the day, not sure when we'll be back. Take patrol tonight, you'll be fine. -Dinah_

The boy wasn't sure what to think. Did Ollie not tell her what happened last night. He had handled the situation, but it freaked him out. Did they really think he was ready to do it alone? He didn't question it anymore, as it was probably a test. He decided he wouldn't question it, but it did tickle the back of his mind. He finished a quick fix of a breakfast, and receded back to his room. It was a quiet day as he kept rotating from practicing in the cave to a multitude of activities in the house. He had to keep his brain active so he wouldn't over think the night. He was careful to eat a large lunch and small dinner, to balance out. It was nearing time to deploy, and each minute he grew more nervous. Nothing calmed him down, but he could find a sliver of comfort in holding the ribbon his old friend wore.

The time had come and he would never be ready. He suited up but something caught his mind before he left. He ran back to his room to pull out the duffel bag that held his younger self. The sword was still stored in it securely. If there was any a time to bring it, it was now. He hid it behind his quiver, making it look like an abnormal arrow. Now it was time to leave and begin a usual routine. His feet were head was sluggish, but his body wasn't. He would think about jumping across a building, and his body would already be in air. That's when the first report came in. An attempted robbery from a local shop was called in, and Rundel was close by. There was only one reported robber so it was a good place to start. He followed the shadow running into the alleyway, firing an arrow from the rooftop below. It struck his thigh, easily capacitating the thief. His hands dropped the loot, and without a word he left the scene as sirens blared on both sides of the alley. Adrenaline was flowing like a river through his veins as he calmed himself down.

_Okay, that was okay. Don't do anything stupid, just keep a level head_. He thought to himself.

It was much quieter than other nights. Almost no reports were called in, and if they were their position would be on the other side of town. He sat on the rooftop of an old apartment complex, and stared out into the skyline. The lights bounced off the streets and refracted through windows. Faint music could be heard in the distance, and it brought a small relief to the teenagers nerves. It was already getting late and he wondered how long he should continue. His thoughts were interrupted by his com link going nuts. All he could make out was that a report from a nearby Quarry had come in. He looked in the direction of the rock mine and prepared for the travel. He wasn't sure what to expect, but holding onto his bow with a tight grip, started to run.

On the other end of town

"What the fuck?! We told him to stay inside!" Ollie shouted. After a long obnoxious mission, this wasn't what he wanted to come home to.

"You did tell him right?" He asked Dinah in a flustered tone.

"Yes, I did. Don't use that tone with me, I'm just as mad as you are, but look at this." She slid him the note that was laying on the counter.

"I didn't write that note." She added. Dead silence hit the two, and panic struck them. Oliver and Dinah rushed to the cave to suit up, and call Batman.

"Batman, I need coordinates on Rundel's commlink." His tone was serious and straightforward.

"I thought I told you not to let him on patrol." The response agitated the hero.

"I know, someone set us up and tricked him into it. He might be in some serious shit." He voice began to falter.

"Got it, his tracker is moving towards the Stay City Quarry, do you know who might do this?" He responded.

"I might have an idea, if I'm right we are going to need back-up." Oliver's worry grew as he allowed the words to escape.

The two hung up, and began to act. Dinah and Oliver suited up and sped to the old quarry. They didn't care if it was a trap, too much was at risk. Dinah allowed her anger to fuel her as she was going to snap the neck of whoever was doing this. That is if Green Arrow doesn't do it first. There was no one else for back up as everyone was deployed on a mission, so Batman sent himself to try to control the situation if the two heroes did anything irrational. He didn't like the idea of the bad guys targeting the younger ones, but it was going to happen because that was one of their weaknesses.

The night had become cold as the breeze soon picked up. Storm clouds loomed overhead only showing flashes of lightning and the faint boom of thunder. Rundel had arrived at the quarry, but the location of the report was empty. He wasn't sure if it was a prank call, or someone had known he was listening to the radio to set him up. He quickly found out as he dropped down to the lowest floor of the basin. It began to drizzle and the surround rock walls were beginning to become slippery, which only meant the lift was the only way back up. The only issue was that there was a man waiting for him. His back was turned but the mask was visible. It was same one as the night he saved his dad.

"Nice to see you again kid, care for a rematch?" The man said nonchalantly.

Rundel stayed silent, allowing fear to take over his body. He wasn't ready to go up against someone like him, especially not alone, but as the man in front of him drew his sword he knew he had to act. In the blink of an eye the teenager drew an arrow firing right at his head. He was too quick and had already dashed out of the way lunging towards the young man. Rundel wasn't helpless like the man thought he was. Using all of the training he had learned he was able to dodge the slash and continue the fight.

_Keep your distance, just like dad taught you while using a bow. _His thoughts raced back to the frequent exercises he practiced with his parents.

"Fuck!" his voice was loud. He was thinking too much and not planning out his movements, allowing the half orange, half black masked man to take a good slash at him. The cut had hit his arm went deep. Blood was already dripping down his forearm as he held it. The bow had slipped from his hand and was now being kicked farther away by the man. Slowly backing up he knew he only had one more option, but just then the fight was interrupted. Shouting could be heard from above and a high pitched scream sent the two of them to the floor.

Before he knew it he was being pulled out into the open, not knowing who it was he lashed out. His ears were ringing and his vision was blurry, but he knew who it was after swinging. His mom dodged the blow, but allowed him to move away. He stood there shaking in the now pouring rain.

"Oh look. Back-up." The man said as he stood up recovering.

He didn't have much time, because a flurry of arrows was sent from the skies to where he was standing. His reaction time was fast and had swiftly moved to the side. Green Arrow joined Black Canary and their unnamed sidekick to beat Deathstroke.

"What, you don't think I have friends?" he said in a maniacal manner as he pressed a button built into his armor. The garage door behind them began to open revealing a massive human like undead. The zombie like features were menacing on the creature who was at least ten times the size of the average male.

"Solomon Grundy,

Born on a Monday,

Christened on Tuesday,

Married on Wednesday,

Took ill on Thursday,

Grew worse on Friday,

Died on Saturday,

Buried on Sunday." It said in its monotone, monstrous voice.

Deathstroke took the time while they were distracted to attempt an attack, but Rundel saw from the corner of his eye. Before the blade hit either Black Canary or Green Arrow he had drawn his own sword and blocked the strike. Slade gave him a forceful blast with the brunt of his sword sending him back, but the two adults were there to take his place. Grundy was moving slowly, but he would be able to do serious damage if he were to land a hit. The two heroes fought Deathstroke as Rundel aggro'd Grundy. He thought of it like his games, and he could incorporate his tactics. It was working successfully till Deathstroke began to lose. He threw down a smoke pellet, and escaping through the lift cutting off exit for the four living beings below. The thick air interfered with Black Canary's and Green Arrow's vision and they both received fatal blows from the large creature.

"Grundy kill now" The monster said as he leaped into the air about to deal a crushing blow.

The lung left Rundel's air as he finally realized he had to do what Makuto wanted him to do. He allowed him body to perform the ability charge, and as he dashed through the air there was more than a glint in the silver and black sword. It glowed a bright yellow as he allowed it to puncture zombie like human and rotate his body with the blade. As he pulled the blade towards himself he let his feet push off the body, throwing Grundy to the opposite side of the arena like floor. He didn't need his wounded arm now knowing what he could do with one. The undead human rose acting like nothing had just happened.

_Is he immortal? He won't be soon. _He thought.

He glanced over to his parent and saw them laying there on the ground fading in and out. If he didn't succeed all three of them died, and knowing this only pushed him farther. The ribbon around his neck he used as a necklace grew tight. It was as if Yuno was there with him, helping him like old times.

"ready?" He whispered.

_Ready. _The faint voice of whispered said in his head.

He charged, and with as much build up as he could tried for one of his old abilities. It was one of the basics but would deal a large amount of damage in one hit, then leaving them stunned. He hoped it's effects would be the same in the real world. His sword emitted the light once more as he swung with full force. It left the frankenstein body dazed and gave Rundel a clear shot. It was time for the killing blow as he unleashed his infamous (at least in the game) flurry of swings. His speed was still unmatched and his blades were cutting deep, leaving the incisions tattered across the body. They cut bones and as he went for the final slash the body dissipated, smoldering into a pile of ash.

Rundel stood there, breathing heavily, trying to come to a conclusion on what he had done. He knew how he did it, but at the same time he didn't. His brain was fogging and his severed arm wasn't getting any better. He made his way slowly to his parents, and was met with them looking at him astonished. Batman was lurking behind them and even he had watched the destruction the boy had done. Ollie and Dinah didn't have any endangering wounds, but a cracked rib still held them down a bit as they were helped by the boy and Batman back to the Watchtower. Rundel was starting to fade as they reached the platform, but a few other leaguers had returned while they were gone. Each of them were treated, but they were curious as to how Rudy had pulled off what he had done. He wasn't ready to tell them, or even how to explain it, but that was when he was visited by an old acquaintance that informed him to keep it a secret.

His eyes would close slowly and as he opened then again he would be in a different location. First it was at the Zeta platform, next it was a hallway, and the third time he opened them he was lying down on gurney in a room of white. He sat up and inspected the gash on his arm. Stitched lined the wound as he unwound the gaws. What he didn't see was the faint outline of the man in the lab coat facing him. His watchful eyes looking over the teenager who beat his death game.

"Raus." He said in a commanding voice.

"You must not allow anyone, even your friend and family, to figure out the secrets of your sword. Their reactions may cause an uproar and unneeded blast in technology breakthroughs. You may explain your skills with the weapon itself to nourish their curiosity, but do not allow them to attempt to replicate it. This is includes the material your heirlooms are made of." He pointed towards the ribbon and sword laying next to him.

Rundel gave him a nod to let him know he understood, but the curiosity on his face had begun to show.

"I'm guessing you want to know how I was able to pull your gifts into the real world?" Makuto asked.

"N-no, well, yes. I understand how I was able to use my abilities, but in order for the material not to break… Well, what is it made of?" He asked, stuttering slightly.

"Both objects are physical manifestations of virtual data and human intellect. Since you understand the gift inside of you, you can probably make the connection that the weapon interacts with it to form your combat abilities." He wrapped up his words, and was preparing to leave.

"And Raus, I'll still be watching occasionally. Four more." With his final words he faded into nothingness.

Silence took over the room as he contemplated what to do. Makuto was trustworthy, but he wasn't his friend either. His brain tried to form reasoning but all he could muster were the repetitive words of the man's advice in his head. The walls were thin and voices filtered through. They weren't clear, but the tone distinguished them as his parents. A door outside of his room opened, then his door followed. The two of them casually made their way in but as the door closed, each of them practically tackled the kid.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Dinah softly screamed, pinching the boys arm.

"Ow? fu- I mean crap. I thought you left the note that said to!" He wasn't able to finish his explanation as she went back to smothering him.

"Even if she left that note, you shouldn't have gone, you're training isn't done." Oliver added.

"Sorry, but I'm alive, aren't I? I handled myself just fine unti-" He was cut off again.

"Until what? You went up against a real enemy? The real world isn't just a bunch of rag tag slimes. There are much more menacing forces in the world." The dark figure had slipped into the room unnoticed and cut into the small reunion.

He wasn't wrong, but the way he said it was vexing. Rundel knew what he would ak next, so before he could say it shot him a look that meant it wasn't time to discuss the matter of his gift. He didn't expect Ollie to ask it as a backup for Batman.

"So I may have been fading in and out of consciousness, but I still witnessed your little throw down with Grundy. Why exactly did your sword glow, and where did you get it in the first place?" He asked

"Uh-well… um, about that." Rundel was trying to stall and it was obvious.

"Cut the crap, how did you get it." Batman said. It wasn't a question, but more like an order.

"It was a gift. Same as the ribbon. I've been asked not to reveal anymore information about it." He was still trying to conceal it.

"Who." The man in black's voice was becoming annoyed as the kid tried to dodge the questions.

"Makuto Miyazaki." His voice was low.

"Makuto is dead, who really gave it to you, because I know you don't just find swords laying around." Was all he received.

"You don't think I know that? I'm pretty sure you know exactly how he gave them to me."

"That means."

"Yea, he virtually copied his brainwaves and uploaded his own data, creating a virtual copy of his consciousness. It was a one in a thousand chance, but he pulled it off."

The two males glared at each other, but the answer the boy gave was legitimate according to the evidence left behind. Of course his parents had no idea who they were talking about, but they were able to pull the important parts out. Batman didn't poke any further, but his curiosity was still there. Many questions were going to have to stay unanswered, for now at least.

"So, how did you actually do it then." Dinah asked, still wanting to know.

"Makuto did an experiment on my body as well. Mine was different and had a much higher success rate." He didn't really want to go on, but the look he got meant he had to.

"He integrated the combat system from Sword Strike into my nervous system, allowing me to access its combat mechanics." It was a breathful but he got it all out without having to re-explain it.

The three adults stood there taking in the information. Batman knew beforehand, but with the final push he believed it was true. The males power had to be maintained, as it was newly discovered and might turn out to be unpredictable. Experiments went through his head to make the bond between his spine and the data safer, but he had just said no experiments. He blew off some steam as he honored the boys words, for now. He would need more information, but right now wasn't the right time. He had performed exceptionally well and seemed ready now that he had seen how a real fight happens.

"Your actions were uncalled for, and impulsive. But you have proved you are ready, tomorrow you will meet and join our covert team." He let out in his brusque voice.

Tomorrow would be a new day, but Rundel's life had already changed.

**Wow, okay, that took way too long for me to write. I had to keep editing and rewriting due to my lack of spell checking and grammar. Still trying to update often but it's getting hard now. I know I haven't even gotten to YJ part, but I will reach it... eventually. Please review, I makes know I can still improve. I'd give a shout out to the person who helped me with grammar structures, but it was a guest.**


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